


I Told You So

by acrisione



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Accidental Death, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Crimes & Criminals, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-02-27 09:33:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13245429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acrisione/pseuds/acrisione
Summary: Jasper accidentally kills Bella in this alternative imagining of Bella's fateful birthday party in "New Moon."





	1. part i: actus reus

\+ part i: _actus reus_ +

 **actus reus** (noun): an act that comprises the physical element of a crime

Preparations for Bella’s “special day” began early in the afternoon and were only satisfied mere minutes before the girl was meant to arrive. Alice had sent herself and Emmett outside to string paper lanterns along the trees, an act which was intended to be both beautiful and helpful for the human girl. “Whoever would have thought?” Rosalie mused, “A human willingly coming to a vampire’s home, at night of all times.” She slid a shining pin into her up-do and gave the mirror a tight smile.

From behind, Alice was nearly vibrating with excitement. She was spinning around in her little dress, clearly delighting as the layers danced in the air around her. “It is her birthday and we are throwing her a party!” Alice replied. “Why would she not want to come?”

“Well,” Emmett said, a smile pulling at the edge of his lips, “we might eat her.” Rosalie gave a small giggle at that. It was the hard truth and trust Emmett to be the one with the guts to tell it.

Alice scowled at him. “No,” she said sternly. “I have Seen it, Emmett! We are going to be family.”

Rosalie, after spraying a generous amount of hair spray, asked, “Are you sure tonight is going to be successful?” She and Jasper had gone hunting just that afternoon in an effort to be safe but thoughts of imminent disaster were not far from Rosalie’s mind. They built too much in each place they settled to leave sooner than required and the headache of dealing with a body in the modern age was more than she desired.

“I haven’t Seen any problems,” Alice promptly replied. “So get excited! When was the last time any of us got to genuinely celebrate a birthday?” She smoothed down the sleeves of her party dress as she spoke and then looked to Rosalie and Emmett with the carefree smile known only to those sure of their future. “I am going to go check on Jasper. You know how he worries . . .,” she trailed off and then, just like that, was gone.

Rosalie turned to Emmett with a frown. “I am not so sure about this,” she confided. “If Alice so wants a party why not meet at the girl’s home? To put all of us in danger for _her_ own desires, her own wish to play human for a night, it’s not fair to anyone.”

Emmett took hold of her slim hands and gave them a comforting squeeze. “You know that once Alice gets these ideas in her head it is best to just go with them. Besides, we could use a little fun around here.”

Shaking her head, Rosalie pulled away from him. “I think we may sometimes be too reliant upon Alice’s visions. She has been wrong before. That disastrous baseball game, _that_ calamity!” She picked up the hair spray and spritzed some more of it into her blonde hair. “I guess we will see.”

Rosalie had scowled as she watched Emmett and Alice string flowers and paper lanterns around the house and surrounding trees and when Esme brought in the ridiculously large cake that she had paid for, Rosalie nearly lost it. Only Bella could enjoy the cake, so buy one so big? Why buy one at all, when Edward had made it clear to them all that Bella did not even desire a party? The human girl was a threat to the coven and sooner or later, Rosalie knew, the Volturi would find out about the human who knew too much. Then what? She shuddered to think.

After a final check of her makeup in the mirror, Rosalie began a slow descent down the stairs to the living room, where Esme and Alice had finally finished their party preparations. The sickly-sweet smell from the frosted cake was turning her stomach but Rosalie did her best to pay it no mind. She had agreed to allow Edward this. She and Jasper had backed down on killing the girl. If Edward wanted a human girlfriend, well, she was going to let him have her.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, saddling up next to Jasper. Her sometimes-twin was leaning against the wall near the archway, arms folded across his chest. His face was tight.

“Nervous.” Jasper blinked his golden eyes for the shortest moment. “But I think everything should be fine. Never before around her have I had issue. And that’s counting those days with her at the hotel.”

Rosalie nodded. “You did well.” She reached over to pat one of his arms. “And we were so proud of you.” Then, she leaned in close, a dangling strand of her hair mingling with his. “Between you and me, if you had taken care of her, it probably would have been for the best.”

“I don’t want to kill anymore,” Jasper replied but he nodded all the same.

“Tough times,” she said but then quieted when the rumbling of Bella’s truck reached her ears. “Only a few minutes more,” she mumbled.

The noise of the Ford’s engine seemed to be the alarm that roused the rest of the coven to action. Emmett, followed by Esme and Carlisle, entered the living room, all looking their best. Esme had a glow about her that Rosalie had not seen in a long while. Alice, evidently, was not the only one eager to play house.

Carlisle had only just been able to get the night off to attend the party. Just the day before he had warned the coven that he was going to be needed at the hospital for an evening shift but by a stroke of luck he had worked the whole day, from early dawn to only an hour before, tending to patients. It was gruesome work but Rosalie knew it was good work. Her own forays into medical school had taught her as much.

“Ready?” she asked Esme.

Esme raised her head off Carlisle’s shoulder to give Rosalie a cheered smile. “I’m so thankful that we can give Bella this opportunity. When Edward told us that she did not want a party, oh, it broke my heart. You only turn eighteen once and I know Bella would come to regret not celebrating with time.” Esme had before told a story of how she had shunned her own fifteenth birthday and later wished she had not.

Still, it seemed wrong to Rosalie to host the party at their house of all places. Surely the girl’s father would have wanted her home.

“She’s here!” Alice called from the foyer. Alice had been waiting by the door to pounce, always eager to shower people in gifts and have a good time.

At that Jasper made a quiet show of slipping to a far corner of the room in the furthest direction from the pile of presents. Emmett slipped out as well, grinning from ear to ear, and after a brief word to Bella was out the door.

The girl was dragged into the room by Alice, Edward trailing just a step behind. Bella took in the pile of pink presents and the heaping pink cake with wide eyes. Her brown hair was frizzy and her skin blotchy and that, coupled with the bewildered look on her face made clear to Rosalie that Bella wished she was anywhere but the Cullen home.

As Alice pulled Bella over to the presents, Rosalie gave the girl a little wave. She seemed not to notice as she pulled a face which likely meant she was attempting to cope with her current situation. “Alice,” Bella began to complain.

“I didn’t listen!” Alice answered, gesturing widely at the tower of gifts.

Rosalie zoned out as Bella opened the box for her new stereo and exchanged pleasantries with Esme and Carlisle. This was all far too much for her to bare. Bella selected another present from the pile and Rosalie was awoken by the smile that brightened Alice’s face.

 _Oh_ , she thought, _that must be her and Jasper’s gift_. Rosalie angled a glance at Jasper and noticed that he shuffled forward just a bit. Perhaps he was more receptive to the proceedings than she initially supposed: there was no need for him to move forward, not with his senses.

Rosalie watched Bella roll her eyes as she snatched up the gift and stuck her finger under the paper, yanking it under the tape and – oh, no.

“Oh, shoot,” Bella cursed as she waved her finger in the air. Rosalie, with a needless gasp, saw the brilliantly red drop of blood ooze from a paper cut on her finger.

It happened before she could react. Jasper shot toward the girl and as Rosalie stumbled forward to grab him, Edward reacted on instinct and shoved Bella.

Rosalie leapt back from the struggle as Edward tackled Jasper to the ground in an attempt to hold him off. “Oh, God,” she breathed in fear, watching unbelieving as Bella collided with a pile of glass plates and fell to the ground, arm spurting blood.

Alice gasped, still as statute by the tower of unopened gifts. A half-second later she was gone, racing into the night air.

Clamping a hand over her mouth and nose, Rosalie looked with darting eyes around the room. Esme had fled, knocking into Emmett as she had, dragging him out with her. Jasper and Edward were still fighting and she, she was so close.

Never had she tasted human blood.

The sight of the blood rushing out of Bella’s arm was enough to make her question every decision she had ever made.

Carlisle was the only one who kept his cool. Rosalie saw him rush to Bella’s aid as she was forced to wrench her eyes from the girl. Rosalie’s own self-control was faltering fast.

As she bent, shaking, to aid Edward in restraining Jasper she was forced backward, slamming into the wall. Jasper’s training in the Southern Vampire Wars had won out over Edward’s frantic protectiveness and mind-reading. As Rosalie’s disoriented mind attempted to see through the flakes of dry wall coloring her vision, she saw Jasper slip from Edward’s grip and nearly leap to Bella’s side, knocking Carlisle away as he did.

Edward and Carlisle both rushed to get Jasper off Bella as Rosalie sat stunned on the floor. Her mind was screaming at her to get up and help. Jasper could not be allowed to do this but the sight was incomprehensible and her body was stuck to the ground.

Rosalie held her hand tighter over her nose as she heard Bella scream. The sound of Jasper’s teeth slicing her pale throat turned her stomach and at that she found her legs. Scrambling out of the house and into the night, Rosalie did not realize her direction until she nearly ran straight into Emmett.

“What is going on in there?” he asked frantically. Surely, he could hear but the events were unthinkable, or they should have been. Esme dashed up as well, begging for the same information.

Through the tree line, Rosalie could see the lights from the inside of the house twinkling. Apparently the fight was still transpiring. She slammed her hands over her ears, sick and shaking.

“It’s Jasper,” she breathed finally. It took her a moment to gain the bravery to consider Esme and Emmett’s faces. “He’s,” she struggled over her words.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Esme cried. Her legs gave way and she came to an uneasy rest on a nearby rock next to Alice.

“No, Rose,” Emmett said, voice brimming with false confidence. “No way.” He turned his head back to the house and Rosalie knew he could hear clearly. The fighting had stopped. It was quiet.

“Come on,” he finally said. The silence had wrapped around them like a funeral shroud. He offered a hand to Esme and holding onto Rosalie with the other, the three of them carefully ventured into the house. Alice, trembling and in stunned silence, followed behind. Rosalie knew that all four of them were doing their best to filter out the smell of Bella’s blood as they stepped closer.

The first thing any of them heard as they entered through the kitchen was Carlisle’s calm voice. “Jasper, it is going to be okay. All of us make mistakes.”

Esme looked to Rosalie with alarm. Rosalie tried through frozen lips to convey the horror of what she had seen. If Jasper had not killed the girl, the venom would surely transform her. Tonight had taken a gruesome turn, one not any in the Cullen Coven were ready to handle.

The four entered the living room at the same time. Esme was clearly ashamed and Rosalie was terrified to feel herself almost smug. _I knew it, I knew it_.

If Edward had heard her he was too shell-shocked to muster a retort.

The results of what had transpired after Rosalie departed were clear. Edward was frozen, standing near the far wall. His clothes and hair were disturbed and eyes strangely vacant. Carlisle, himself disheveled, kneeled by Jasper’s side on the floor. Rosalie could only see his back but from the way Jasper held himself, she felt no need to look at Bella. Yet, she could not help herself. Lying on the floor, arm sliced and neck torn open, was Bella’s lifeless body. From the puddle of blood around her it seemed like Carlisle and Edward had been able to get Jasper off her before he had time to consume too much of her blood.

From beside her, Rosalie saw Esme begin to cry. She sat down on one of the small seats and with shaking shoulders, buried her face in her hands. Emmett knelt next to her, whispering words of comfort.

Rosalie inched closer to Jasper. She was close to him, she felt like she understood him. Rosalie cared enough about the man to allow him to use her own name. A swell of pity rose in her chest as she spied Jasper’s blood drenched dress shirt. Jasper was looking to Carlisle with orange eyes. Rosalie knew, though she had never experienced the sensation herself, that his throat was finally satisfied.

“Jasper,” Carlisle was saying carefully. “We all have made mistakes. Emmett when he met his singer. Esme. Edward, when he left for all those years. Each time we have moved on. Each time we have been able to learn and grow and use that experience to become wiser, more careful. I have not abandoned them, I have not condemned them, and neither shall I condemn you.” Carlisle was rubbing a soothing hand along Jasper’s right shoulder and upper arm. “I know the gravity of this mistake and the feelings it brings to you. I know this was an accident but I also know that with time we can grow from this.”

Emmett had been chastised for his recklessness, although Carlisle had understood the allure of a singer. Edward had been welcomed back with open arms after his vigilante days. Alice was excused. Esme had been forgiven, Carlisle whispering a prayer as his blood-drenched wife wept for the man she killed. Rosalie had never slipped up but she had taken her revenge and that, too, had been accepted. Those times Jasper had slipped up, or Maria had caused issue, had been forgiven as well. Acknowledge what went wrong and strive to do better.

Rosalie skirted past Edward to kneel at Jasper’s side. “He’s right,” she said carefully. It was hard to avoid Bella’s body and as she kneeled her gown soaked with the girl’s blood. “We all should have known better. Alice should have Seen something. We should have been more careful, not allowed her over here at all. This was all our faults. This should have been avoided.”

Jasper shrugged away from both Rosalie and Carlisle. “I,” he stammered. Jasper looked down at his bloody hands as if seeing them for the first time. Rosalie followed his eyes as he glanced down at his ruined shirt. He looked to Bella’s broken body and Rosalie could feel the horror emitting off him, crashing into the coven like rough waves on a beach. Jasper glanced once more at his hands, flexing his fingers. Then, suddenly, he seemed to realize he had lost control of his gift. The artificial disgust and fear was dragged away and once again Rosalie was left with a twisted stomach and flurried thoughts. “I’m so sorry,” he said, voice soft.

There was no time for Rosalie to speak. Whatever trance Edward had entered shattered when Jasper finished his trembling apology. “Sorry?” Edward said, almost too quiet.

“Edward,” Alice began. Rosalie glanced over her shoulder to see Alice, ruffled herself and with a smear of blood on her forearm, raising from Esme’s side. “Please.”

“No,” Edward snarled so viciously that Alice’s mouth fell closed with a snap. “You killed her. You wrestled past me and you fought the three – the three – of us off so you could get to her. You made the choice to be here, to _breath_! Are we to believe you could not handle one drop of blood? That you really could not help yourself? You are no newborn, Jasper! You are just a _monster._ ”

“Will you shut up?” Rosalie hissed. “What are you helping?” She rose with Jasper, keeping a steadying hand on his arm as they stood straight. Carlisle, attention elsewhere, began examining Bella’s mangled corpse.

“What am I helping?” Edward retorted, snarling. “You told us all, didn’t you, Rosalie? You warned us, didn’t you!” He leapt forward, aiming for Jasper, who hovered just behind Rosalie.

Rosalie pushed out her arms. “No!” she said in tandem with Alice and Esme. “Stay back!” she ordered, stepping just to the right to fully shield Jasper. “I warned ages ago about this, I said multiple times today this was a bad idea. I warned you and no one listened. So, don’t blame Jasper,” she commanded, arms shaking with rage, “this is not his fault!”

“How can you believe that?” Edward retorted immediately. “And _you_ ,” he said, fixing his gaze over Rosalie’s shoulder. “You coward. Do you feel bad, weak? You should. Over fifty years and you still cannot control yourself. Pathetic,” he spat.

Rosalie, thoroughly alarmed, began searching around the room for backup. Jasper did not need her to fight his battles but he was numb with shock and likely would have let Edward have at him. Rosalie could not abide by that. This was the risk they had taken and this was the outcome that should have been expected. A regrettable tragedy but nothing to weep over. Another dead human, this one with less sense than many of the others. They had persevered before and just because Edward had a fondness for this one, this one who could for the first time put a brake on his gift, the coven had to be torn apart? Absolutely not!

Emmett was standing in the doorway, eyes locked on Edward. He seemed ready to step in if Edward tried attacking her to get to Jasper, Rosalie noted with relief. Esme had ceased her crying and with her eye makeup uneffected, was looking with wide-eyed horror at the scene before her. The break-up of her little family, the drama of the century. Alice had composed herself and flitted behind Edward. Rosalie watched as she placed one small hand on his elbow. “Please calm down,” she urged. “Let’s not do anything rash.”

“Yeah,” Edward said, voice more vicious yet, “wouldn’t want to do anything _rash_.”

Alice had a stricken look about her. Rosalie imagined it must have been difficult for her, to have a future she did not expect come crashing down on her. Not to mention, Rosalie realized with a sinking fear, that Alice considered Bella a friend. The girl had spent the summer helping the human as she healed and predator and prey had grown close. But, but, Rosalie thought wildly, trying to tally sides to gain some comprehension of the danger she was in, Jasper and Alice were mates. Alice should side with Jasper. She had been wrong about the future before and she was sympathetic to Jasper’s issues. Esme and Carlisle would do anything to keep their family together, Rosalie was sure. Although she suspected that Carlisle was being kinder than he felt, Rosalie knew that Jasper, apologetic, regretful Jasper, would receive their forgiveness. That left Emmett. Her Emmett, who stood by her side through everything, who loved her despite her flaws and her past.

Where would he stand? Rosalie knew he would defend her if Edward attacked and, she thought desperately as Edward made another move to reach Jasper, he would likely forgive his ‘brother.’

With the knowledge that she should be safe sinking in, Rosalie reached forward to grab on to both of Edward’s forearms, gripping as hard as she could. “Relax,” she said, locking eyes with his. “Think about Carlisle and Esme. Do they want you to do what you’re thinking about?”

Esme rose from the chair at the sound of her name and approached Edward. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head against his upper back. “I’m so sorry, son,” she whispered. Edward relaxed at this. Rosalie dropped her hands and Alice stepped away, moving to stand resolutely by Jasper’s side.

“I don’t understand how this could have happened,” Alice said to him, “how did I not See this?”

Rosalie glanced down at Bella’s body and truly noticed for the first time the girl’s face, twisted in terror. Finally moving away from Jasper, she walked over to Emmett who as soon as she was in distance, pulled her into his arms. “Rosie,” he said, kissing her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“What do we do?” she asked, voice muffled against his chest. Rosalie felt almost human again, helpless and afraid.

“What we always do,” Emmett answered.

Behind her, Carlisle attempted to arrange Bella’s body into a more natural position. She had been laying half-slumped against the wall, right arm bent at a awkward angle. As Carlisle pulled her flat to the floor, Edward extracted himself from Esme’s hug. Without a word or movement in Jasper’s direction, he bent down and placed a kiss on Bella’s impossibly pale forehead. Edward settled next to his girlfriend. He took one of her lifeless hands in his.

Rosalie turned around in Emmett’s embrace, resting her back against his broad chest. Alice and Jasper had retreated again to the corner. She had taken his bloody hands in his and was whispering so quietly to him that Rosalie could not hear her words. Jasper was stricken still, face stained with blood and eyes almost unseeing as he gazed into Alice’s face.

Esme gave a sorrowful glance down to Edward. “Carlisle,” she said, voice weak, “lead us.” Carlisle strode over to his wife and pulled her in close. As he ran a hand up and down her back, Carlisle spoke to the members of his coven with a strong command that made Rosalie grateful.

“What happened here,” he said, voice impossibly calm and steady, “was a horrific tragedy and a sad reminder of what happens when we lose control. I understand that emotions are running high. Bella was not simply a human we did not know, she was Alice’s friend, Edward’s girlfriend and a prospective member of our family. Everyone is entitled to their grief, their anger and their regret. But what we must do, for our sake and for the sake of all the human’s which we strive to protect, is take care of our present problem.”

Rosalie had given thought over the years to what would happen if word on vampires got out. Whatever happened, she reasoned, it would not be good for anyone. Her money was on the human’s destroying themselves in their desperate effort to eliminate vampires. So Carlisle was right, however callous he might have sounded. Bella needed to be disposed of, Jasper’s crimes had to be covered up and they needed to move yet again.

Overcome with emotion, Rosalie closed her eyes.


	2. part ii: the cover up

\+ part ii: the cover up +

Carlisle’s announcement had caused a terrible fury to brew inside Edward. “You cannot be serious,” he said, staring up at Carlisle from his vigil by Bella’s body. “Just,” he gestured widely with one arm, “cover up, pack up, suck it up?” He pointed to Jasper, finger jabbing sharply in the man’s direction. “You’re just going to let him _get away with it_?”

“What do you suggest we do?” Alice cried, hands on her hips. “Call her father and turn Jasper into the police? I’m sure that would go over swimmingly! Then the wolves can find out that we broke the treaty!”

“Okay, okay,” said Esme, hands raised. “Please relax everyone!” The panic in her voice seemed to attract every eye in the room. Rosalie tore her gaze from Alice to rest it on Esme’s frantic face. “Edward wants justice for what he has lost, I understand that. But Alice is right. Short of kicking Jasper out – and what good what that do, what does that not make worse – what do you propose, Edward? I just, we have never,” she stopped speaking. Esme raised shaking hands to her eyes and she once again began to cry.

Carlisle removed his arm from her back. He pulled her in close and Esme, faced buried against his shoulder, wept quietly.

The treaty had not even crossed her mind. So overwhelmed had she been with her frantic concern for Jasper and the well-being of their coven, and her disdain at having been proven right, that she forgot about that tribe on the coast. How could she have? She was there when the treaty was drafted! If word got out about what Jasper had done there would be trouble.

“I don’t know what to do,” Alice admitted. “I can’t See any future involving them. I can just See how we are going to cover this up immediately. We have to keep this quiet, we have to. I don’t know why I can’t See. Carlisle, we have to careful.” Her speech was slurred as she rushed her words out. Rosalie watched her face as she tried and apparently failed to foresee the actions of the wolves.

Rosalie knew clearly that she was right. Jasper did not deserve to get kicked out and doing so would create many more problems than it would solve. Not to mention, it would be horribly unfair. Jasper had done what nearly everyone one else had at some point and none of them had ever been met with condemnation so severe. “Edward, look at what you are doing to Esme!” Rosalie said. “Why can’t you just accept this? You two weren’t even together for one year and now the wolves might get involved!”

“She was _my girlfriend_!” Edward snarled. “God forbid I be upset.”

Shaking his head, Emmett spoke to the coven for the first time, “No one’s saying you can’t be upset, man. What we’re saying is that this was just – it was like Carlisle said – a tragedy. It’s no one’s fault or everyone’s, I guess. Depends on how you look at it. Point is, Edward, we all took risks we when began associating with her and when we brought her over here. You’re to blame as well, in one way, and in another, no one is. This is just . . . a horrible accident.” Rosalie reached up to take a hold of the hands that were wrapped around her waist. Squeezing her hands against Emmett’s, she silently thanked him. He was not on her side but he was right in many ways.

“My fault?” Edward replied, sounding dumbstruck. “That’s a joke, right?”

“No,” Carlisle said immediately, voice thick with authority. “Emmett is right. We all took the risk that she may get hurt. This unfortunate event is one we all knew may occur and one that we, in some ways, accepted as chance when we allowed her into our home. All of us share some blame this time.”

Alice clapped her hands. “Good,” she said. Rosalie noticed for the first time how carefully Alice was avoiding looking at the girl’s body. The minute tremors in Alice’s hands visualized the emotions that were wracking her small frame. It took a lot to shake up the undead, to get the venom in their veins pumping. “Then we should get to work. I know what I have Seen. Our futures disappear come morning so we need to work fast.” She looked up at Jasper but he had his back turned partially away from the body and was gazing at a spot on the wall just behind her shoulder. “Jasper,” she said quietly, “why don’t you go get cleaned up?”

“Shall I go with him?” Rosalie volunteered. Alice was the more likely candidate to go, of course, but Rosalie got the feeling that she was going to be needed downstairs for the planning phase.

Alice gave her a small, shaking smile. “I think that would be good.” She stood on her tip toes and placed a kiss on Jasper’s nose. “Go on, it’s going to be okay.”

Emmett dropped his arms from her waist and after a moment, gave Rosalie a little prod. “I’ll help out down here,” he told her. “If the wolves are coming, we need to be prepared.”

“Okay,” Rosalie said, looking to Carlisle and then Edward. Esme had ceased her crying but was still bundled in her husband’s arms. Carlisle nodded to her and gestured for Jasper to head upstairs. Alice gave Jasper a little push in her direction. Edward was silent on the floor, pants wet with blood, and Rosalie could tell from the set of his shoulders that he was furious.

Rosalie took hold of one of Jasper’s hands and tried not to cringe at the feeling of dried blood. “Let’s go,” she said quietly as they shuffled out, “before Edward starts howling again.”

“You can’t blame him,” Jasper said. His voice was quiet but surprisingly steady. This was not his first rodeo, Rosalie knew – far from it, in fact. She reasoned it was likely the ties the girl had to coven that had him so hurt and, of course, his concerns over having thoroughly broken the treaty.

“Maybe,” Rosalie allowed as they began their ascent up the stairs. “But the fact remains that this was a threat we all knew was there. We warned them months ago about the dangers!”

Jasper led her down the hall as they reached the second-floor landing. “I do not like to pass blame for this,” he admitted. “It was my own weakness. Edward is right, I should be able to do much better by now.”

Rosalie shook her head. “Edward does not know anything about anything. He only thinks he does. You try very hard, Jasper. And anyway, I told them so. You told them so. We put her at risk and fled once but we came back for more! He’s just as guilty as you are.” Then, she shrugged. “Whatever you want to feel is yours, Jasper. I understand why this is so upsetting.”

That seemed to be what he wanted to hear. Rosalie did mean it, although she truly felt that while he had done wrong on a moral level, he had not truly committed any crime. Or, as she said over and over, Jasper had not done anything but what was to be expected. The entire coven wanted to take risks and this is what it got them!

“We just need to be careful,” she said, opening the door to his and Alice’s bedroom for him. “That we dispose of her body and disappear in a way that does not attract attention. We do not need the Volturi or the wolves breathing down the back of our necks.”

Rosalie had met the Volturi twice: once, while on a visit to Italy in 1963 and another on business in 1987. In 1963, she and Emmett were doing a whirlwind tour of Europe and thought it wise to stop in and see Carlisle’s old friends. Admittedly, they were curious about the powerful and, to them, mysterious coven. Aro had been most welcoming but both had felt safer once they exited the ancient city. In 1987, accompanied by Jasper, Emmett and Alice, the four of them had gone to see the Volturi, this time not for pleasure. Aro had wanted to hear how Carlisle had been getting on and after a few recent disasters, Carlisle had felt it best to assure Aro that there were no issues regarding vampire law. Once again Aro had been the most gracious host and once again Rosalie had been pleased to leave.

“No,” Jasper agreed. He was making a beeline for the bathroom. “We don’t need the Volturi or the wolves on top of all this.”

Rosalie opened the bathroom door and turned on the tap for him. Jasper peeled his shirt off and with his face twisted in disgust, handed the soiled garment to Rosalie. She watched as he washed his skin free of blood. The rusty-colored water that rain down the drain was almost hypnotic.

“How upset is Alice?” Rosalie asked after a moment. Jasper had picked up a rarely used wash cloth and was drying off.

“She’s devastated. Almost as much so as Edward,” Jasper admitted. “I could hardly believe it when she stood by my side.”

Rosalie could. When, all these years ago, Esme had opened the front door to the two of them Rosalie could barely believe her eyes. Jasper looked ravaged, skin marred from dozens upon dozens of bite marks. Truthfully, he had terrified her. If Alice could see past that, then Rosalie knew she could accept anything.

The glowing light that emitted from around the mirror made Jasper’s scars stand out more than they usually did to her sharp eyes. Even around his chest and down past the waistband of his pants, Jasper was covered in bites. One good thing he did for the coven was scare many other vampires silly just by the look of him.

Jasper was tough. He had endured much worse and had done much worse.

“I’ll bet. She and that human were friends.” It was easier to forget Bella’s name. It was always easier when the dead body belonged to a stranger. “Here,” she offered, “take off your pants. I’ll go to the closet and find you something new and clean.”

Jasper nodded. Rosalie left to give him to privacy, still holding his shirt in one hand. It would need to be burned along with her soiled dress. Edward and Carlisle also had ruined clothing that would need to be destroyed.

“What a night,” Rosalie grumbled. Though she was not listening in to the conversation downstairs, Rosalie could guess the plan. She picked out something Jasper could move around in and feel comfortable getting dirty and then returned, sticking one arm through the crack in the door. Jasper took the clothes and then passed his ruined pants to her. “I’ll be back in a moment. I’m going to get changed myself.”

After Jasper acknowledged that he had heard her, Rosalie shot off to her and Emmett’s room. It was nice to be alone, she realized, as the door clicked shut behind her. She could not even begin to imagine how Jasper was dealing with everyone else’s emotions. Just the thick fog that she could feel was overwhelming. Rosalie leaned against her door, closing her eyes for one moment. Then, suddenly steady and purposeful, she removed the pins from her hair.

So much for all that.

After washing off her makeup and changing from her dress into something much like she had chosen for Jasper, Rosalie placed her hair into a pony tail. Emmett had thankfully not unpacked a purchase he had made a few days prior and so Rosalie picked it up, dumped the contents of the plastic bag onto their bed and then placed her and Jasper’s bloodied clothes into it. With that bag swinging in one hand, she walked back to see Jasper.

“Good to go?” she asked, knocking gently on the bathroom door.

Jasper emerged, smoothing his hands down his hair. “Good,” Rosalie appraised, “you definitely needed to brush that.”

“So, what next?” Jasper asked. He still looked unwell, although getting cleaned up and changed had made an incredible difference. If it weren’t for the forlorn look in his startlingly orange eyes, Rosalie would not have thought anything wrong.

She gave him the happiest smile she could. “We go downstairs and see what has been decided. I haven’t been listening, have you?”

“Absolutely not,” Jasper answered. Rosalie held out her free hand and he took it. Together, they left the room, descended the stairs and re-entered the living room.

It was quite a different scene that Rosalie was greeted with this time. Everyone but Emmett had disappeared. Bella’s body was gone but Rosalie, with a quick taste of the air, knew she was still close. The floor was still dirty with blood. The cake and presents were gone. Emmett was gazing out the window onto the front lawn, where the Japanese lanterns still shined.

“What’s all been decided?” Jasper asked. He seemed almost afraid to speak now that he was back downstairs.

Emmett turned around, looking himself much better than when Rosalie had left. “Esme is going to cut some of the cake, wrap it and put that with all the unwrapped presents into Bella’s truck. We’re going to stage an accident near the hardware store. It’s going to look like she unwrapped her presents, took some cake for the drive and then, for whatever reason, got into a fiery crash. We’re still working on what’s next. For now, we’ve got her body in one of Carlisle’s gym bags. Everyone is going to get changed and then we’ve got different jobs as groups. Carlisle thinks it will be best if we all help out.”

“Wow,” Rosalie answered. “Okay. How are we going to do that without being seen?”

“I assumed Edward would be tagging along to read any curious minds,” Emmett responded. “There’s only so much we can do, you know.”

Rosalie nodded. “Her father is the police chief. We have to give him something concrete.”

A gleam appeared in Emmett’s eyes. “See, I suggested dropping something big and scary on her. I thought we could park her truck somewhere, make them think she got out of it for whatever reason and then got mauled. Thought it would go a-ways to explaining her injuries, but I got vetoed.”

There was the problem of all the shards of glass in her arm. Rosalie knew from her training as a doctor that there was likely to be minute shards which they could not remove but a coroner would find.

“The glass in her arm,” she said, “that’s probably why you got shot down.”

“Yeah,” Emmett said, and then he shot an apologetic look at Jasper, “I don’t mean to be flippant. Just trying to cope.”

Jasper shrugged. “I understand.”

“The car accident is a great idea,” Rosalie said as she savored the idea. “The fire can destroy her body and if by chance they find any glass in her, it can be from the plates or the windshield.” That would be the best plan. Give them a body and give them an accident that had nothing to do with the Cullen family. Their name needed to stay out of the papers.

“Nice to hear everyone so happily making plans about how best to dispose of my girlfriend’s corpse,” Edward said. Rosalie cursed at herself for not listening for his footsteps.

She realized that now was not the time to be angry or smug. “I’m genuinely sorry for this, Edward. I hope you know that.”

Edward looked to Jasper. “I don’t need an apology from you, Rosalie.”

“I’m sorry, Edward,” Jasper spoke to him without looking his way, “you know that. You know I never wanted to do this.”

Edward glanced away from him without saying a word. “Emmett’s animal attack idea is complete idiocy. You thought as much yourself, Rosalie.”

 _Mind your own business._ One of the worst parts about life with Edward was never knowing if she had her mind to herself.

Carlisle entered then, wearing hiking boots in place of his usual loafers. Though Esme and Alice had yet to return, all of them looked dressed for a camping trip. Rosalie was glad she had the forethought to anticipate where the night would lead them. _Call me Cassandra,_ she thought in Edward’s direction and was delighted when he scowled at her.

“Edward is right, unfortunately. I will not be able to remove all the shards of glass from her arm and even if I did, the unique cuts will be identified as coming from glass.” Carlisle looked around the room, catching each of their eyes as he did. He had some trouble with Jasper but once he had everyone’s attention, he continued, “We will have to stage a car accident. Esme is going to direct the accident, something for the police and – potentially – the wolves to pay attention to.”

Emmett nodded, a small frown disrupting his face. Rosalie could sense he was disappointed not to have to carry a bear bridal style God knows how many miles. “What about the rest of us?” Emmett asked.

“Good question,” Carlisle said. “We have to stay until we can be sure that the investigation has been concluded. We are too close to her to simply leave now, as we have previously. That said, we will begin, in what ways we can, the process of moving. For now: Alice is going to be aiding Esme in creating the accident. Rosalie, do you think you could well-imitate Bella’s voice? I want you to call her father quickly. After that, I want you to take Jasper and Emmett out hunting. I think it would be for the best. Jasper and Emmett, if I could please get the two of you to clean up the glass and blood. I am going to remove the decorations from outside and begin making calls. Afterward, Esme and I have decided to go hunting ourselves. I think we are all due the distraction. Edward, I would like to have you outside with me before you head out with the women. Also, Jasper, I am going to need your help in keeping the police in line but that will come later. For now, everyone please do as I have asked.”

Emmett clapped his hands together a few times. Rosalie knew that he, like herself, was happy to be given something to do. “What do we do with the garbage? Gotta burn it.”

“Take the clothing and cloths with you hunting and burn them discreetly, far from where it could be found. Esme and Alice will take care of the rest.” Carlisle looked around the room once more. “Does everyone know what they should be doing?”

After everyone had verbally answered, Carlisle asked Rosalie to follow him into the hallway. As she followed she listened to Jasper and Emmett as they headed into the kitchen in search of bleach, a bag for the glass and other supplies. “What are we going to do about the hole in the wall?” Rosalie asked. If they wanted to avoid suspicion when the cops came a-knocking, Rosalie knew that they could not have indentations near the bottom of their wall.

“Edward is working on that now. He and I spoke before I dismissed everyone to get changed,” Carlisle said. He held up their home phone. It was still shining from disuse. “I need you to call Charlie and give him an update. Tell him you’re headed home, with the gifts and slices of cake to share.”

Rosalie looked at the phone, lip curled. “I don’t know if I can do her voice, Carlisle. Not well enough to fool her own father.”

“I have faith in you,” Carlisle answered. “You have always done what this coven needs, and I know you can do it again.”

At that, Rosalie took the phone and after Carlisle read the correct number from the phone book, stepped outside to make the call. Charlie picked up fast.

As nerves fizzled in Rosalie’s stomach she said, “Hey, Charlie.” Rosalie always thought it strange that Bella referred to her father by his first name but the first role in going undercover was to imitate perfectly.

“Hey, Bells,” Charlie said, sounding relieved. “I was getting worried about you. You heading home?”

Relief shot through Rosalie like a bolt of lightning. So far, so good. “Yeah,” she answered, injecting a whine into her voice. “It wasn’t so bad, I guess. They go me a lot of stuff.”

“Did you thank them?” Charlie asked. In the background, Rosalie could hear post-game baseball commentary. Perhaps he was not yet quite so concerned about the hour.

“Of course. I told Alice not to get me anything but she didn’t listen! Anyway, I’m heading for the truck right now.” Esme balanced an armful of gifts in her arms. “Oh, Esme, that’s too much to carry! Let me do a second trip.” Emmett tossed Rosalie Bella’s keys, which she caught in her right hand after balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear. The jangling sound from the keys surely reached Charlie’s ears.

Charlie laughed. The sound hurt Rosalie’s heart. She was not totally cold; she could empathize with a father’s pain. “Sounds like they were very generous. It seems like you didn’t have a half-bad time, either. I’m happy to hear it. You’ll be here soon?” That worry had crept back into his voice.

“Yep, don’t worry.” Rosalie made a show of jostling the presents in her arms. “Oh, Esme’s got the rest of the cake. Looks like four different plates. I hope you’re hungry.” Esme smiled as she past by with the cake, followed Alice out the front door and began staging the passenger seat of the truck with cake and gifts. Rosalie itched to follow and unload her arms.

“I always have room for cake,” Charlie responded. Rosalie laughed with him.

She smiled and hoped that the fake-gesture would translate into real emotion over the phone. “Good! Then I’ll see you soon, okay? I’m pretty tired.”

That sounded like a good excuse for getting into an accident.

“Are you safe to drive?” Charlie asked. Rosalie cursed herself. If Carlisle allowed Bella to drive when she was too tired then blame for the accident would be directed their way.

Rosalie injected her voice with energy. “No, not that tired! See you soon.” _Oh, that was cold_ , Rosalie cursed herself yet again. But at least it furthered their narrative.

“Alright, bye, Bella,” Charlie answered.

Rosalie put the phone back on the receiver, dashed outside and added her presents to the pile already on the passenger’s seat of Bella’s truck. The vehicle was on and rumbling, its smell polluting the air. Alice and Esme, dressed for a glamping trip, were waiting just outside. “Sorry,” Alice said. “I did not even think to help you make up anything.”

“It’s fine. So, the call with Charlie went well. I don’t feel so good about it but he does. Anyway,” she said, eager to change the subject, “how is all this going to work?”

Esme climbed into the truck. “Alice and Edward are going to hunker down in the back with Bella’s body. When we approach the intersection we will pull off into seclusion and make the switch. Edward will arrange her body in the front seat and Alice will stay in the truck to ensure it crashes.”

Rosalie cringed. “More power to you both. What about the fire?”

“It is rare for cars to catch fire in accidents, but we will make it happen,” Alice answered sadly. Rosalie noticed tears building in the corners of her eyes. “I have picked up enough knowledge from you over the years, Rose.”

“If the wolves coming sniffing around, how do we explain your and Alice’s scent in the truck, Esme? Would the fire obscure it?” Rosalie asked. They had not been keeping close tabs on the wolves. It had been so long since they had left that Rosalie had been unsure whether anyone lived to remember. They found out soon enough: when word got around that Billy Black was telling people to avoid the hospital, when one of the older men sneered at Esme at the bank. So they stayed away, unsure how many wolves there were and what the threat might actually be.

Esme gave a semi-confident smile. “I wanted to give it a drive. Alice hopped into the back for the fun of it. It is an old truck, why would I not be interested in taking in for a spin?” She sounded almost as if she was trying to convince herself. “As for the fire covering the smell . . . unfortunately, I do not know their capabilities.”

“Well,” Rosalie said, eager to excuse herself, “I don’t want to hold you up.” She stepped out of the way and after receiving a brief kiss on the cheek from Esme, watched as Alice got into the truck’s bed. Carlisle emerged from the house soon after, carrying his gym bag in one hand and Edward trailing sullenly behind. Edward climbed into the back of truck next to Alice and, following her lead, flattened himself against the bed of the truck.

Carlisle placed her body in the back of the truck and then gave Esme a grim smile. “She’s ready to go. I took some advice from Jasper and slit the throat to the hide the teeth marks, and removed as much glass as I could from her arm.”

Rosalie was sickened. She left before Esme had a chance to shut the driver’s door. When she entered the house again, the strong smell of joint compound burned her nose. Luckily due to their occasional rough-housing, the Cullen’s often had spare drywall on hand. Rosalie passed by Edward’s efforts on the wall, pausing only to note that having something to occupy his mind was probably the absolute best thing for him at the moment; if only he had been able to stay home after completing the first stage of the job. At the scene of the crime, Jasper and Emmett were nearly done. A large trash bag and another shopping bag were at their feet. Rosalie could see the shards of glass in the shopping bag, some covered in dark, dried blood. “Getting into the grain?” Rosalie asked.

None of them were strangers to blood clean up but every piece of the puzzle had to work for their cover up attempt to be successful.

“You know it,” Emmett said. “Jasper, why don’t you get some clean towels so we can dry this up?”

Jasper was always desperate to prove himself useful after these types of accidents. He rose without a word. “Do you want me to get the vacuum?” Rosalie asked. There was no need to keep the floor covered in little shards of glass. Just standing there she, with her improved sight, could see some glittering.

“That’d be great, babe,” Emmett said.

Rosalie retrieved the vacuum from a hall closet and brought it back. Edward had finished smoothing out the joint compound before he left. “Do you think we have twenty-four hours for that to dry?” Rosalie asked him as she handed the vacuum off to Emmett. Jasper was diligently drying the wood floor and seemed to be doing his best to ignore the emotions around him.

Jasper shrugged. “Maybe. We might be able to move a table or something over there to block it. Even then, it’s going to need to be sanded, primed and painted.”

“And then we have to wait for that to dry,” Rosalie finished. “I hear you. Okay, when you two are done let me know.”

Carlisle, cell phone in land, entered the living room. “I’m working on some calls, so please try to keep it down. I want to get them done before Edward returns and we take down the decorations.”

It seemed gruesome to Rosalie to make Edward clean up the decorations from his dead girlfriend’s birthday party but it was, she knew, needed. “Don’t worry about it,” she assured him.

Carlisle gave the cell phone a long look before excusing himself and stepping into the empty foyer.

Jasper picked up the bag with the glass inside. “Should I put this by the front door?” he asked.

“Good idea, make it easier to grab on the way out,” Rosalie said. Esme, Edward and Alice should be back soon, she guessed. The longest part would be the drive to the hardware store. They knew how to fake a trail, how to cover up a murder and – apparently – how to rig a truck to catch fire. Although they had never tried in times so technologically advanced and this, Rosalie was painfully aware, would be a true test of their abilities.

Emmett stuffed the towels into the bloody clothes bag, which now was quite full with the addition of Carlisle’s shirt and Edward’s pants. “It looks like we’re going to need new dish towels,” Rosalie mused. “When Charlie and his squad arrives, we don’t need anything out of the ordinary.”

“Probably a little late for that now,” Emmett answered. “But we could head out real early in the morning.”

“Seattle?” Rosalie asked. The farther away the better, so as to lessen the chances of them getting caught needing to replace their dish towels.

Emmett held out a hand to Jasper. “You wanna come with tomorrow?”

Jasper looked at the floor where the mess had been, which Emmett had only just recently finished vacuuming, to the hole in the wall and then back down to his clean hands. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

“We’ll see what Carlisle says,” Rosalie answered promptly. “I think getting out of the house would do you some good.” With that, she gestured toward the door. “Carlisle put me in charge of you two!”

Emmett grinned at Jasper, who struggled to return it. “Ready to get something to eat?”

“Ready to wash this away,” Jasper said. He made a weak hand motion up to his eyes. Neither he nor Rosalie were thirsty, having gone that afternoon, but Rosalie understood why Carlisle wanted them to go.

“That’s right!” Rosalie said, giving him an encouraging smile. “I think the running will do us all some good.” The three of them walked out the front door, carefully dodging Carlisle, who was deep in conversation with someone whose voice Rosalie did not recognize. “We will be back soonish,” she told Carlisle. He nodded in acknowledgement.

“Take your time,” Carlisle advised, putting down the phone for a moment. “We still have some time before anyone realizes anything is wrong.”

 _Before any of the humans realize anything is wrong_ , Rosalie thought scornfully. As she led Emmett and Jasper into the woods behind her home, _she_ was keenly aware of all that was currently wrong.


	3. part iii: if a tree falls

\+ part iii: if a tree falls +

The viciousness in Jasper’s dismembering of the first deer he snagged had disturbed Rosalie. After all her years trying to follow a diet of animal blood she knew well that all one had to do was tear at the throat. Jasper tore off one of the animals’ legs in his haste, blood spurting all over his flannel. “Damn, Rose,” Emmett said as he dodged the limb. “I didn’t realize he was so pressed.”

“I think he’s more mad at himself for losing control,” Rosalie answered. Jasper had killed and consumed humans for years. He had only ceased because their fear was too painful for him to bare. Jasper otherwise held no qualms when it came to the killing of humans. Had the girl not been related to the coven, Rosalie knew he would have had two quarrels: his regret over causing the coven to move so soon and feeling sorry for himself as the self-described ‘weakest link.’

“Does it feel good?” Emmett asked. “I should try it!” he told Rosalie and darted off.

Rosalie’s mouth watered as she watched Jasper bend over the neck of the deer and tear into its skin with fury. He drank the blood as if he were a dying man, desperate for water, and then pulled away, licking at his lips. “Your whole front is dirty with deer blood,” Rosalie pointed out.

Jasper looked down at himself in shock. Then he glanced at the mangled carcass at his feet. “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t realize.”

Waving a hand, Rosalie said, “Don’t worry about it. You have had to endure everyone’s emotions tonight, not simply your own. If tearing into these animals helps you get those feelings out then I say go for it.”

Jasper extended a blood-stained hand to Rosalie. “Shall we catch up to Emmett?” About three miles to their east, they could just hear what sounded like Emmett brawling with a bear.

Rosalie gave her first true laugh in what felt like a long time. “I can handle myself.”

With that, they set off in tandem to find Emmett. Moments later, they skidded to a stop around a small clearing in the dense forest. Emmett grabbed onto the bear he was wrangling, pushing on one of its paws so as to force its body into the dirt. It let out a ferocious roar and as it did, Emmett reached one hand into its mouth and tore the bears’ head clean in half. “Damn,” Emmett whooped. “Jasper, that felt good!”

A smile was playing at the edge of Jasper’s lips. Emmett’s positive emotions must be rubbing off on him. “Are you going to share?” Rosalie asked.

Emmett looked up at her, eyes wide. “Uhm, well,” he stammered. “You ate just this afternoon and I did take him down all by my lonesome.”

Rosalie shrugged. “Okay,” she said dismissively.

“You’d better let her,” Jasper advised. Rosalie gave him a large, gleaming smile. It was fun to play Emmett and, in this case, even funnier as Jasper played along.

“Woah,” Emmett answered, holding up his hands. “I’d love to share with my lovely lady.” He picked himself off the bears’ back and walked over to Rosalie, one hand still clutching the upper half of the bears’ head. “May I?” he offered, extending his free hand to her. Rosalie took it and, giggling to herself, allowed Emmett to lead her over to the bear. “No, no, let me,” he insisted and leaned down, tearing a hole in the bears neck for Rosalie.

When Rosalie got up again, after drinking perhaps just under half the bears remaining blood, she noticed Jasper shaking his head. “Jealous?” she asked, and he only snorted.

“Glad you’re feeling better,” she told him quietly. Rosalie and Jasper watched silently as Emmett finished off the bear. He dropped the upper half of the head then and stood up, bowing to them both.

“I think you and Jasper should both find something else to eat and then we head home. We need to make sure the plan is progressing smoothly.” Rosalie did not like force the two, especially Jasper, back to reality but that was the unfortunate job of those in charge.

Jasper nodded, his good-will gone. They spent the next half-hour flitting through the dense trees. Jasper took down a larger deer this time and Emmett one of his fellows. As the other deer scattered every which way the men drank their fill. Once it was down, Rosalie was displeased to see the state of Jasper’s deer. While not as brutally mutilated as his predecessor the animals had been mercilessly mauled.

“Give me your shirt, Jasper, so we can add it to the pile of things to burn.” Jasper hesitated. Rosalie knew that he was self-conscious about his scars.

“Ah, come on, Jasper,” Emmett chided. “You’ve got nothing I haven’t seen before.”

After a moment Jasper stripped off his padded vest, allowing it to fall to the forest floor. He unbuttoned his shirt and passed it to Rosalie and then quickly put his vest pack on. Rosalie added it to the bag that had been dangling at her side. “Thank you.” She led them a half-mile north and at her prompting, Jasper dug a small hole. Rosalie set the bag in the hole and Emmett did the honors. They watched the bag burn silently and once the clothes looked sufficiently ruined, Emmett covered the hole and the three of them ran back home as fast as they could.

“I’m going to go find a shirt,” Jasper said as they hustled up the porch steps.

‘Good thinkin’,” Emmett said, holding open the door for them.

As Jasper ran up the stairs, Rosalie was mindful to take her muddied shoes off at the door. “Sounds like everyone is in the dining room,” she murmured to Emmett. After a moment, still lingering by the door, she allowed herself to lean against him. Immediately Emmett snaked his arms around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he smiled into her hair. “You ready?” she asked. They held hands as they walked to the dining room. Jasper caught up to them, hovering behind nervously as they stood in the doorway.

The entire coven was seated around the table, save for Carlisle who stood near its head. Esme was sitting in her usual spot, at the top right. Edward was at the far end and Rosalie felt Jasper flinch behind her. Alice was sitting next to Esme and she lit up as soon as she saw Jasper. “Why don’t you three find a seat?”

Alice scooted over, moving closer to Edward. Jasper silently sat between her and Esme. Rosalie and Emmett took space on the other side, Rosalie sitting to Carlisle’s left. She looked up at him and found him immersed in thought, eyes far away. Carlisle finally sat down himself and the room somehow seemed to grow even quieter.

“So far,” he spoke, “the plan is progressing well. Esme and Alice were successful in staging the accident. Alice advises that the accident will not be noticed for a few minutes more. Unfortunately, she has also seen Charlie’s worries around Bella’s absence. We will be expecting him over in, what did you Alice, ten minutes?” Everyone but Alice and Edward seemed to sober at that news. “But we need not worry,” Carlisle continued, “for Alice sees the visit going well for us. The glass has been disposed. Rosalie, did everything go well?” Rosalie nodded. Emmett grasped one of her hands under the table and began stroking his thumb along her palm. She relaxed, just the smallest amount. “Good,” Carlisle praised. “Happy to hear it. The floor is clean, the wall is drying to await paint, the clothing has been destroyed. There is but one matter left.”

Rosalie’s brow furled. “What is that?”

Edward sat up his chair then. The legs scrapped loudly against the floor. “It should be me. She was my girlfriend. I want to give her a proper burial.”

“Carlisle,” Esme said, “I don’t see the harm in that. Perhaps we can go with him.”

“No,” Edward said, shaking his head. “I want to do this alone.” He looked back in the direction of the kitchen and with an inhale, Rosalie realized that was were some of Bella’s effects laid.

Esme gave him a patient smile. “I know you do. But your father and I worry about you. We support the idea of a symbolic burial but we love you too much to allow you to endure that alone.”

Rosalie had always found the happy little family mommy-daddy-son thing the three of them had going on strange. Her own parents were long dead and at eighteen, she felt like she did not need surrogates, especially ones who looked not much older than her. That said, she did enjoy their advice and occasionally, their guidance. If Esme wanted to think of her as her daughter, well, Rosalie was not going to tell her to stop.

“Fine,” Edward relented, throwing up his hands. “After Charlie leaves, I would like to go hunting with you two of you, if neither of you mind.” He was scowling again, glaring at a painting just past Carlisle’s shoulder.

Esme smiled. “That sounds good. Thank you, Edward.”

“So,” Alice said. “We need to get ready for Charlie’s arrival. He thinks we just had a birthday party.”

“It’s pretty late, I guess,” Emmett spoke up. “Should we change into pajamas?”

“Change into something else, at the very least,” Rosalie said, gesturing around the table. They all looked like had just emerged from a stay in the woods.

Carlisle followed Rosalie’s gesture before nodding. “I would like for everyone to get cleaned up and changed into comfortable clothes. After the excitement of a party, I can’t imagine any of you would yet be in bed. I will put some dishes and silverware into the dishwasher and start it running. Esme, why don’t you brew up something for you and I to drink? That sounds like a perfectly normal human thing.”

Jasper glanced behind him, to the wall which separated the dining room from the kitchen. He looked uncomfortable. Rosalie could just feel the waves of uncertainly emitting off him, clouding her own thoughts with artificial fear. “What about her things?” he finally asked.

“The attic,” Emmett said, voice loud as he announced the idea. “There is no way he would be able to find his way up there.” The coven conducted numerous illicit activities up there. It was well-hidden.

“Yes,” Carlisle responded. “After, we shall hunt and then Esme will accompany me and Edward to her burial. Before, however, after Charlie departs, we will meet here to speak one more time before day break. There is the issue of the wolves and of our secrecy.”

Edward was shaking his head, his lips pursed tightly. To Rosalie’s immense relief, he kept his mouth shut.

“If I may,” Jasper began, “how can we be sure Charlie will not notice the accident on his way here?”

Alice smiled and tapped her temple. “He will take a different route here than the one he would normally. It seems his concern got him turned around.”

“Cool, although I’d rather he came across it first and never stopped by,” Emmett said.

“We all do,” Edward responded, scowling.

Esme clapped her hands. Rosalie got the feeling she was trying to perk things up. “Alright, now that we have everything sorted,” she said, “let’s go.”

Everyone stood silent to do as they had been told. Alice followed Jasper as they left the dining room, whispering to him. Rosalie watched as he lit a few candles. “Trying to mask any smells?” she asked. “Should I open some windows?”

“I’ve got it!” Alice replied. “Thanks, Rose, great idea!” She gave Jasper a wide smile. “Told you that was smart thinking.”

Rosalie rushed upstairs afterward. She was acutely aware of the danger they were in. This was a danger they had encountered before but this time seemed like it was going to be a unique test of their abilities. She and Emmett stripped down in their closet. “What should I put you in?” Emmett mused, eyeing some of Rosalie’s skimpier pajamas.

Rolling her eyes, Rosalie pulled a loose pair of joggers on. “We’re pretending to be teenagers going to bed after a party, hon. I can give you that if we survive the morning.”

Emmett held up his hands. “Fine. I surrender.” He passed her a patterned black tank top. “Tousle your hair up a bit, maybe?”

“That’s a good idea,” Rosalie said as she pulled the top on. She took her hair out of the ponytail and headed to the bathroom. After cleaning up and teasing her hair she returned to the room to see Emmett dressed in an outfit similar to her own. He was zipping a hoodie over it as she entered.

“Do you think Alice and Edward will be going to school tomorrow?” he asked. Unfortunately, it was only a Tuesday. Forks High would expect the two to show up.

Rosalie thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “Alice does not either, apparently, so I’m not going to worry about it. My immediate concern is surviving past the morning.”

“There’s no way those dogs can find out,” Emmett said confidently, “at least not that fast. And if they do,” he paused, eyes glittering, looking through their window, “I’ll take them.” He was smirking.

Snorting, Rosalie gave Emmett a few pats on his elbow. “Oh, I know,” she told him. “Big strong Emmett.”

The smile dropped from her face as she heard the rumble of Charlie’s cruiser approaching the house. Rosalie pulled the covers back from their bed and ruffled the pillows before taking Emmett’s hand and dashing downstairs. Esme was closing the windows, a cup of tea steaming on the coffee table behind her. Someone had moved a little table and plant in front of the drying, fractured wall. Carlisle laid a little blanket on the couch after he sat down his own cup of tea.

Jasper and Alice crept up behind her. “How are things looking?” Rosalie asked. “You See anything?”

“Nothing to be concerned about until morning. To answer your question: no, I don’t think we’ll be going to school. Probably not smart with all things concerned. The wolves, especially. If they attack we will need to be all together for numbers sake.” Alice passed a headband over to Rosalie. “Charlie would like it better if your hair was back.”

“Oh, would he?” Emmett asked. Rosalie giggled as she pushed her hair back, allowing the band to rest on the top of her skull.

“Just makes things a little more natural,” Alice replied. “Oh, he’s stopping!”

“Think I’d like a snack,” Emmett said. “You feel up for a bite, Jasper?”

“’A bite?’” Alice cried. “For the love of God, Emmett!”

Esme waved her hands around as she glanced around the room, seemingly looking for something to ruffle up. “Emmett, Jasper, go ahead to the kitchen. Rosalie, Alice, you both should probably also be somewhere else.”

“And Edward?” she asked. Rosalie had not heard his voice since he gave up complaining.

“In his room unless needed,” Carlisle answered promptly. There was a knock on the door and everyone but him and Esme scattered. Rosalie heard Esme settle under the blanket as she joined Emmett and Jasper in the kitchen.

Jasper was gazing into the empty cabinets with a disapproving look. “Perhaps someone should have gone to the store,” he said.

“I can just complain that Esme said it’s too late to eat,” Emmett replied. “Not like Charlie’s going to go through our cabinets.”

Rosalie shrugged. “He might.” It would be a good idea to send someone to the store in the morning, but she did not believe it was going to happen. Alice was right. If something with the wolves were to go down they would need to be together. Sure, they could all go to the store together but that would be incredibly strange. After Bella died, well, it could make sense that Edward and Alice, shaken, would stay home. What would not make sense would be a seven-person trip to acquire chips, bread and spinach.

“You hear that?” Jasper asked, voice so low Rosalie almost could not hear _him_.

“I’m telling you, Carlisle,” Charlie was saying, “she said she was leaving here nearly two hours ago.”

There was a pause. “I understand,” Carlisle replied, “the call with her mother could not have lasted so long.” Rosalie heard him gave a deep, unnecessary sigh. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am to hear this, Charlie. She left my home. I should have ensured she returned to her home safe. Well, come in, if you would like.”

Rosalie crept out of the kitchen, heading for the door. She wanted to see the show. As she passed by the living room, she noticed Esme looking anxiously in the direction of the front door. The television was on mute. Charlie was stepping inside as she approached.

“Hey,” she said, voice low and awkward. “What’s going on?”

Carlisle shut the door. “Charlie says Bella never returned home after leaving here earlier.”

 _Really?!_ “Oh no,” Rosalie replied, eyes widening. “Did she get in an accident?”

“I kept a look out for her truck,” Charlie said, mostly to Carlisle. “Didn’t see it. But,” he admitted, “I did not go my usual route.”

Rosalie was tightening her hands in her hair. “Should we look for her?” she asked, biting her lip. “Bella seemed okay when she left,” she added.

“Oh, yeah?” Charlie replied absent-mindedly.

“Perhaps you should be getting to bed,” Carlisle said, in that fatherly voice Rosalie hated. “It’s getting pretty late.”

Rosalie pulled her best bratty face and said with a loud whine, “I was just told Bella’s missing and you want me to go to bed? Are you joking?”

Emmett peaked his head into the hallway. “What’s going on?” He and Jasper emerged from the kitchen, curiously innocent looks on their faces.

“Come in, come in,” Carlisle said. “Kids, please, give Chief Swan his space.”

Esme walked out of the living room to take hold of one of Charlie’s hands. “Charlie, come take a seat. We’ll find her.” She led Charlie into the living room and settled him into one of their side chairs. It was close to where Bella’s body had laid. The sight of him so close made Rosalie’s stomach turn. She, Emmett and Jasper watched from the doorway as Charlie glanced around the room. He was a cop, he had been a cop for many years.

The Cullen home was the last place Bella had been seen. It was now the crime scene which Charlie was surely investigating. “What’s that smell?” he asked.

 _Here we go_ , Rosalie thought with a grimace.

“The bleach?” Esme said easily. “The kids made a bit of a mess with the cake.” She smiled fondly at the three crowded in the doorway. “All in good fun, of course.”

Charlie nodded. He was still looking around, eyes narrowed in concentration. “Would you mind if I took a tour of the place?”

Rosalie turned around to eye Jasper. “You’re up,” she whispered. Jasper nodded.

As Carlisle answered that he had no such qualms, Rosalie watched as Charlie’s shoulders relaxed just the tiniest bit.

“He’s spewing worry, suspicion,” Jasper whispered to them. Charlie could not hear but Rosalie knew everyone else in the house could. “I’m going to calm him but only by a tad.”

“Smart,” Emmett replied. “It would be weird if he wasn’t upset at all.”

Esme raised her tea cup and pretended to give a drink. “Would you like me to come with you?” she asked. “I don’t mind heading out, either, if you’d like a little help looking for her.” Esme turned around to face them. “Hey, kids, did Bella say anything to you about where she was going?”

All three shook their heads.

The hope that had blossomed on Charlie’s face died. “She was talking to Alice, sir, just before she left. Should I?” Jasper said, looking to Carlisle. “Should I go get her?”

Carlisle nodded. “Good idea, son. Go get Alice and Edward both. I’m sure we will get this worked out.”

Charlie seemed to get better control of the conversation after Jasper left to get what he was sure was what little hope he had. “No, Esme,” he said with a weary sigh. “I don’t want to endanger you by making you wander the night.” As a police officer, Charlie would be well-aware of the danger women faced alone after dark. If only he knew, Rosalie thought, that Esme would be the biggest threat stalking the night if she left.

“Are you sure?” Esme asked. She sat up more, looking to Carlisle with a frown. “I just don’t understand what could have happened. Perhaps you missed her and she’s at home wondering where you are?”

“I don’t know, Esme,” Carlisle told her. “Two hours is a long time to not be home already.”

Jasper returned with Edward and Alice. “Oh, Charlie,” Alice cried, bounding into the room. She gave Charlie a quick hug. “Jasper told us that Bella didn’t come home? That’s horrible!”

“Thanks,” Charlie said. “She tell you anything about her plans?”

Alice put on her best thinking-face. She sighed. “Hmm,” she said eventually. “Well, she said she really wanted to get home so she could unwind and give you some of the cake – and show off her presents!”

“Show off her gifts?” Charlie asked. Rosalie did not understand why he seemed so surprised. Was that not what anyone would want to do?

Alice leapt up. “I’m gonna call your house!” she said as she all but ran from the room.

Charlie then caught sight of Edward as he watched Alice dash off. He was lurking in the doorway, almost hiding behind Jasper and Emmett. Charlie’s eyes tightened at the sight of him, scowl deepening. Rosalie gave Jasper a needless nudge. Charlie’s features relaxed minutely after a moment.

Edward shook his head, shrugging. “I helped her get the gifts in the truck,” he said. “We wrapped up a couple slices of cake for her to bring home. One for you.”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “What about where she was going? Was she planning on making any stops?” It was nice for Rosalie to see someone who was not bowing to Edward’s whiny will.

“No, sir,” Edward replied, pretending to look taken aback. “Are you sure she didn’t come home?” he asked, worry creeping into his voice. “She seemed okay when she left. Bella told me she wanted to get home really bad. Not because of any problems here,” he added quickly, “but for the reasons Alice said.”

This whole performance was making Rosalie sick. “I don’t like this,” Rosalie said. “It’s so weird. Maybe I will go to bed, okay? Mom, I can go looking in the morning with you if you’d like.”

“That would be nice, sweetie,” Esme replied pleasantly. “I’ll talk to Chief Swan. Now, you keep your door open a peek in case he wants to look in, okay? You know your father and I would do the same if anything happened to any of you kids.”

Rosalie nodded as Charlie said, “That won’t be necessary, Mrs. Cullen. I’d like a look of the downstairs, maybe the back.”

“You can look in my room,” Edward volunteered suddenly. “If she’s missing I wanna find her.”

Rosalie left Edward, Esme and Carlisle to work out the particulars as she headed upstairs. Jasper and Emmett followed after a moment. When she entered her and Emmett’s room, mentally worn but mind as sharp as ever, she found Alice sitting cross-legged on the rug. “What are you doing?” Rosalie asked. Jasper left the door open a crack as he followed Emmett inside.

“We need to talk,” Alice all but moaned.

Emmett and Rosalie exchanged concerned looks as they and Jasper joined Alice on the rug. “Are we all gonna die?” Emmett asked. “Because in which case we should just make a run for it.”

Jasper was nodding and he spoke before Alice could, “Go into hiding for a few years. Maybe to Europe.”

Scowling, Alice held up her hands. “No,” she said, voice slow and deliberate. “I am not sure if we are going to die. My gift . . . well, tonight was a sad reminder that I am not infallible. Anyway, I believe I have discovered the cause of my blind spot. Edward could tell you reaching the bottom of it is all I have been trying to do.”

“So, you think it is just that,” Rosalie responded, “a blind spot? Because as you know we were all concerned it meant we were going to die.” She was grateful for the news that they may have a decent chance of surviving the morning and being able to remain in Forks. Never before had they stayed in the same spot after an accident and truth be told, she was curious about what the fallout in the little town would be. If anything, it could help them make any future stories more believable and give them clues for what to watch out for.

Alice nodded. “I cannot see our futures, but I can the Denali’s. I saw Peter and Charlotte’s future – they are in Nashville, Jasper, I’m sure you would like it there. I can see the future of Mrs. Cope. She will be calling an assembly in the morning during first period. But what I can’t see, try as I might, are the wolves. Nothing. So, my working theory is that I cannot see the wolves and that our future in the morning must therefore involve them.”

“But what about the afternoon?” Emmett asked. “Or this time tomorrow? No one’s ever accused me of being a genius, Alice, but it still is sounding pretty damn grim for us.”

“I vote we leave tonight,” Rosalie said. “If Alice cannot see our futures after the morning that puts us in deep danger. We know not how many of those beasts lurk over there. The safest thing to do would be to run while there is still time.”

Jasper looked to Alice. He took her hands in his and said, “Alice, if we do that, what happens?”

“They will be suspicious of us,” Alice responded after a few moments. “But the accident Esme and I staged will hold firm. We will have to abandon our names for a while, but we would otherwise be safe.”

“Then I side with Rose and vote we leave,” Emmett answered. “Staying here is not worth the risk.”

“From what I believe I do not think there to be many, or perhaps any, wolves down at the reservation. Just, perhaps, their descendants? Although, the curse may run in their blood.” Alice was gnawing at her lip and as Rosalie watched, she could see Alice cycling through different futures.

Jasper let go of Alice’s hands and was immediately on his feet. Rosalie looked up at him in alarm, choking out a strangled, “What?”

“I’ve figured it out,” Jasper said and was out of the room before he finished.

“Guess he’s fixing what we broke,” Emmett said, shrugging. “What you See, Alice?”

Alice was scowling again. “I have no idea what he is doing. I _hate_ when I don’t know what he’s doing!” Alice leapt up and dashed after him.

Shaking her head, Rosalie rose from the rug and scowled at Emmett as he did the same. “What do you recommend?” If Jasper had a plan which could allow them to stay then it was worth considering but, she was aware, the risk of waiting and losing time which could be used to run was even more pressing.

“I guess we wait and see what’s going on.” Emmett was quiet and Rosalie could tell he was listening to what was happening downstairs. Charlie was poking around their backyard, having already finished his tour of the downstairs.

Then, Rosalie heard the crackling of Charlie’s police radio. “Chief Swan,” came the voice of a man. “Do you copy?”

Charlie snatched the radio out of his belt and replied so quickly Rosalie felt for a moment that his speed was inhuman. Her hearing certainly was.

“There’s been an accident, sir. We need you to come down to the hospital right away.” The voice was strained with regret.

Charlie gave an irritated sigh. “I am investigating my missing daughter.”

“I know, sir. We have found her. So, please, come on down.” The man trailed off. It was clear that he did not want to say what he needed to say over the radio.

Charlie was silent for a moment. Then, he was rushing around the side of their house, stumbling over the grass, skidding around the corner of the home and all but leaping into his cruiser. He left without a word.

Once again, Rosalie felt sick to her stomach. She wished she was human. Not only would she not have these problems, but she would not have been privy to Charlie receiving the worst news of his life.

Rosalie nodded, responding to Emmett’s earlier proposition. If she were going to face oblivion, then she would face it with Emmett. “We should,” she said, struggling, “get changed for the morning.”

In silence, she and Emmett headed to closet and changed once again. Rosalie zipped a sporty jacket up as Emmett laced up his boots. Downstairs, she heard the sound of Charlie’s cruiser starting up again. Rosalie brushed out her hair and pulled it into a bun. She wanted to leave nothing to be grabbed in the advent of a fight. After they were suitably dressed, Rosalie and Emmett clasped hands and once again descended downstairs.

Carlisle was in the kitchen, cleaning up the tea cups and frowning at the dishwasher. Esme had picked up the blanket and was folding it much slower than need be. Rosalie could hear Edward as he entered the attic and was once again grateful she could not read minds. Jasper and Alice were nowhere to be found.

“Esme?” Rosalie asked, once again hovering in the doorway. “Did Alice or Jasper tell you what they were doing?” She did not want to talk about Chief Swan’s abrupt departure.

Frowning, Esme walked toward the linen closet nearby the sitting room. “Just that he believed he could guess how many wolves are actually down there.”

“Great,” Emmett replied promptly, “walking right by the belly of the beast. And in the morning, when they wonder about Bella, they’ll get to ask themselves: I wonder if that’s connected to those vampires that came by last night? Then we can all die!”

“They seemed confident,” Esme replied. “Edward, Carlisle and I were going to go out anyway. Alice seemed to think she and Jasper would not be gone long. If we need to run, I do not think this will change anything.” She put the blanket back into the closet and shut the door.

Rosalie bit her lip before replying. “No, you are right. Get changed. Emmett and I can hold down the fort while you three are gone.” Just the two of them being left alone was not ideal on a night like the one they had but it was the only option – and Rosalie was great with managing her only option.

Esme gave the two of them a small smile before excusing herself to the kitchen to get Carlisle. The two of the passed a very glum Edward as he came down the stairs holding a duffel bag of some of Bella’s effects in his right hand. Rosalie looked away. “Want to go out back?” she asked Emmett.

The two of them made quick work of getting outside and settling into two of their lawn chairs. Rosalie still enjoyed the feeling of the wind of her face and the sounds of nature. If she was going to die soon, she did not want to die after hours spent cooped up in the house. She and Emmett watched in silence as Edward, Esme and Carlisle dashed into the woods without a word. A few moments went by and the sound of rustling branches and displaced dirt died as they ran. “If the three of them were smart, they would be leaving us behind right now,” Emmett muttered.

“Probably what Alice and Jasper are doing,” Rosalie said. “It is so like them to just _run off_! Why tell anyone what you are doing when you could just run away?”

“I like to think that they’re doing just what they said they are doing and are going to come back to tell us there is nothing to fear.” Emmett shrugged. “Isn’t that why we came back: we figured they were all dead by now?”

Rosalie and Emmett dissolved back into silence. _Why did we come back_? Rosalie wondered. There were safe spaces for them all across the world. Unable to relax and enjoy the still night, Rosalie strained her ears for any untoward sound. Finally, after about an hour, her cell phone began to vibrate. Rosalie flipped it open without even bothering to check who was calling. “Hello?” she all but shouted. Emmett leaned to his left, getting just a bit closer.

“Rose! Hey,” it was Alice and by the sound of things, she was running. “Good news: Jasper and I were able to get around the border and, I think, guess pretty well how many wolves there are. He used his gift and I mine and we did what we could to track scents and tell them apart – and guess what? We are thinking there are fewer of them than there are us!”

Rosalie smiled. “So we can take them, is what you are saying?”

“Yes!” Alice exclaimed. “I couldn’t get Carlisle, so I called you. Jasper and I will be home soon. Relax!” she demanded. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Rosalie said, laughing. Her relief was coursing through rapidly and she turned to Emmett with a giddy smile as she snapped her phone shut. “We’re going to be okay!”

Emmett was grinning too. He stood from his chair and picked her up, hugging her tight. “We’re going to be okay!” he repeated. Emmett was dancing, pulling Rosalie along with him as he jumped and shaked his hips. “This is great news,” he cried as they swung around the backyard.

“Now all we need is Charlie to come creeping by for another look.”

Emmett and Rosalie leapt apart, shocked, only to see a disheveled Jasper standing fifteen feet from them. Alice was behind him, biting back a grin as her sparkling eyes darted over the happy couple before her.

“Quiet, Jasper,” Alice chided. “There is no need to scare anyone.” She smiled, tapping her temple with one thin finger. “Charlie will not be coming back. Not tonight, at least and not because he suspects us of anything.”

“And our morning?” Rosalie inquired. “Still hidden?” She felt like a punctured tire. All the fleeting happiness she had enjoyed was melting away fast.

Rustling in the woods across the garden caught their attention. Esme, Carlisle and a morose Edward extracted themselves from the forest. Esme’s face lit up when she saw Alice and Jasper. “We heard the good news on the way,” she said.

“The morning is still a mystery,” Jasper said, “but I feel confident that we can handle whatever the wolves may bring.” Perhaps doing so unconsciously, Rosalie noticed Jasper still a little straighter, squaring his shoulders back.

Rosalie glanced at Edward. His expression was unreadable. Once again, she was grateful for her inability to read minds. “Well,” she said, mimicking Jasper’s pose, “let it come.”

That night was perhaps one of the slowest. For the umpteenth time, the entire coven went upstairs to clean and change. Esme collected fresh paint for the wall from the garage and settled a brush on top of the can. It was hours until the wall would be dry enough to paint over but her activity was an expression of how they all felt: They just wanted something to do. Rosalie snuggled with Emmett on the couch as Edward retreated up to his room. Alice was with Jasper in their room. She was trying, Rosalie could just hear, to get him to talk about what had happened. Esme and Carlisle were in the attic. They were preparing for the worst. Finally, darkness faded to light and animal activity steadily grew outside their windows. As the sun rose, Rosalie could feel the tension in the house rising with it. Around six-thirty that morning, Carlisle received a call from Charlie about Bella. Only by telling a tall tale regarding Edward’s upcoming agony had Carlisle been able to get out of an early-morning meeting with Charlie at the morgue. The weather had been predicting a sunny day, anyway. Charlie, Rosalie understood, was at the morgue, had been for hours, and believed that Edward was soon to be an inconsolable wreck. That much was true, of course, but Edward did not need Carlisle attending to him.

As the time approached seven, Esme called the high school and told them that Edward and Alice would not be coming in that day – she explained to Mrs. Cope why and Rosalie and Emmett both winced at the humans’ horrified gasp.

Then, human matters handled, the coven assembled on the front porch. Alice kept her back against the front door, closing her eyes as she strained to See what was coming. Jasper was at the front, just behind Carlisle.

They would not need any extra gift that would alert them to the arrival of the wolves, just simple hearing. The rumble of a truck engine greeted their ears and then, at last, pulled up their drive and stopped. Rosalie could hardly believe her eyes when she saw the two men who stepped out of the truck – “Billy Black and Harry Clearwater,” Carlisle greeted, smiling graciously.

Billy slammed the driver’s side door. Harry pushed Billy’s chair up to porch, both men squinting in the early morning sunlight. “Jasper,” Rosalie said suddenly, “can you come here?” She had a tone of panic in her voice, but perhaps it was for the best. Jasper obeyed, stopping close to Rosalie. She whispered to him, “You need to relax. Stay back here with us. It looks like we _want_ a fight.”

Jasper glanced behind him and at the slightest nod from Carlisle, eased next to Alice.

“I imagine you most have heard about Bella’s accident,” Carlisle said. “I cannot tell you how devastated we are over her loss.”

“That is exactly what we are here for,” Billy said. “What do you know about that?”

Rosalie could feel his eyes as they drilled into her. Billy and Harry were doing their duty to their tribe, that was clear.

Carlisle gave a sad shrug. “Not much, unfortunately. She was doing just fine when she left our home last night. All I can say is this: We wrapped up some cake for her, she packed her presents in the car and drove off. No one followed and no one heard from her after she drove away.”

Harry sighed. “Sam tells us three of you were down by her truck. And a further two of you were lurking around the boundary line last night.”

“Yes,” Esme said straight away. “Alice, Edward and I went to investigate around the scene, hoping for some understanding of what was happening. Other than the horrible scene itself, we learned nothing. As for Alice and Jasper’s activity around the boundary last night, they were simply trying to see if they could tell if Bella had perhaps gone by your territory; this was shortly before we discovered the accident. Nothing more. We respect the treaty.”

Rosalie could tell that Billy and Harry were not convinced. “Esme,” Carlisle said, “why don’t you stay here with me and the rest of you go inside? There is no need for an uneven discussion.”

 _That’s going to go over well_. “Carlisle,” Jasper said but Carlisle cut him off.

“No, really,” Edward said, perking up. “Someone else is coming.”

Moments later, another truck pulled up the Cullen drive. Out stepped Sam Uley. Rosalie and Emmett exchanged worried looks. How many more would be coming?

Sam had the same distrustful expression as his elders, but his nose was wrinkled from the smell. “More company,” Carlisle said, as pleasant as ever. “I welcome it, if it leads to a peaceful resolution of this conflict. Edward, stay, as I am sure your presence will be appreciated. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett – please, go inside.”

Jasper bristled again but Alice dragged him inside. Emmett and Rosalie followed wordlessly. Rosalie glanced behind her as she shut the front door. Sam was looking around the yard, clearly using his enhanced senses to see if anything was amiss.

Concerned that he would want a tour of the house as Charlie had, Rosalie plucked up the paint can and brush and moved them down to the basement. It felt safer down there, although she knew it was the least safe part of the house.

“Nowhere to run,” Emmett joked as he descended the stairs down to her.

“Funny,” Rosalie said. “Can you believe this?” she asked, voice low and angry. “How dare they force us to submit to their inspection?”

Emmett shrugged. “I don’t like it either, but you can’t blame them.”

Rosalie strained to hear the conversation occurring outside and when she heard Esme invite the men inside, she bristled once more. “You ready for a fight?” It was always best to be prepared.

“You know it.” Emmett grinned.


	4. part iv: aftermath

\+ part iv: aftermath +

Young love.

Rosalie had once been a young girl in love. She had hoped and dreamed and been unable to see the monster before her. Perhaps she had been unwilling to recognize the monster that beckoned or, she wondered, perhaps he had yet to emerge. Her young romance had ended in tragedy. Rosalie could not find enjoyment in the books and films which told the tale of young love: whether it succeeded or not, she knew the picture was not true. Somewhere, a girl was being conditioned for heartbreak.

Everyone should have known better. Better, much better, than the newly eighteen-year-old. Combined, their coven had over two hundred years of experience and wisdom. Was it arrogance? Had they grown complacent, lost their fear? Rosalie knew better and yet, here they were.

Sickened by the examination of their home by the wolf, Rosalie had shaken Emmett off and gone back to her room. She changed again and carefully staying out of Sam’s line of sight, began running into the woods. New dish towels and food needed to be bought. Seattle was not too far. Was she confident her coven would survive in her absence? Rosalie assumed she must have been. The implications otherwise were undesirable.

The run up to Seattle would take perhaps an hour and a half. It was good time to think. These times out of their home – her prison in the hell Carlisle had brought her to – were some of her only in which she was truly alone.

Seattle was awake and bustling when she arrived. It was a simple matter of dashing into a grocery store. A bundle of dish towels and a cart full of healthy food later, she was ready. Would she steal a car? Rosalie did not particularly desire to run back home with her arms full of groceries. She was not sure how well they would bare the trip.

The answer came easily. Parked on the side of a scarcely-driven road was an older sedan, with information written in white along the back window. The car was for sale, unattended, and in an area with little traffic. Rosalie looked around carefully.

No cameras. She strode over to the passengers’ side, knocked out the window with her elbow and leaned in to unlock the car. Quickly, before any car could come, she piled her purchases into the back and slid into the driver’s seat.

Rosalie was a natural with cars. That was one thing that always shook her: that she would have lived, and indeed did die, without ever knowing the skill she possessed, just waiting for her to awaken it. She hotwired the car and was then off, speeding down the two-lane road. The coven in which she made her home was not unaccustomed to criminal activity. It was simply what they needed to do to survive. Rosalie, then, took a side road on her way back to Forks. The Interstate had cameras, and so the side roads were much more preferable and, sometimes, did not prolong the journey.

As she drove, speeding as fast as she believed she could get away with, Rosalie considered the situation at home. The wolf and his elders would have surely left . . . unless Alice had been wrong and they had brought backup. Would she be the only survivor?

More likely, the men had made their leave and everyone was sitting around their home, moping in Jasper’s cloud of gloom. Young love. The idea made her sick. There was no love that could be constructed under the perfume of youth.

Rosalie had once again saved the day. While everyone stood around and fought their battles with words, she was proactive. She got what they needed to blend in. She said what needed to be said. Rosalie always did what no else could bring him-or-herself to do. And for her crime, she was the pariah. Ever for the better: Rosalie did not desire to be liked, not anymore. She was approaching Forks now. It was almost noon; the sun was hiding behind a layer of clouds. She pulled off along the tree line, grabbed her bags, and made the half-hour’s journey home in less than ten.

Whatever the music was, it was time for her to face it.

The scene greeting her at the Cullen home was not what she had expected. The wolves had left, their scent still strong in the afternoon air. Alice was sitting cross-legged in their backyard, eyes closed. Rosalie could see clearly that she was flitting through futures. Alice did not stir as Rosalie passed by. Inside, Esme and Carlisle were speaking in hushed tones to Edward. He was sullen again but some of the previous days’ agony had left his eyes. Emmett was upstairs and from the sounds of things, he was rifling through their closet. Jasper was in the kitchen and as Rosalie passed over the threshold, he held out a hand and took some of the bags off her.

“What did I miss?” she asked as she settled the rest of the bags down on the island.

Jasper shrugged and began unloading the groceries. “The wolves found nothing although they still strongly suspect our involvement in Bella’s death. I did what I could to assuage them. Alice is predicting that Chief Swan will return soon – without a warrant but to invite us to his home, to mourn. Your appearance here now could not be more fortuitous.”

“Is the threat with the wolves over?” Rosalie asked. She began folding the dish towels into a drawer beside the sink as Jasper stocked their once-empty fridge.

“No,” he replied. “Carlisle, Alice and Edward have determined that we are going to have to run. The chance of law enforcement – Chief Swan notwithstanding – is simply too great. Esme just got off the phone with Tanya. Honestly, we should have left last night after cleaning up.”

Rosalie scowled. “Of course. I do not know why we bothered.”

“We don’t like being nomadic,” Jasper answered. “We had a vain hope and as the cause of all this mayhem, I did not want to voice concerns.”

Rosalie finished putting away the groceries and then bundled the bags away in an empty drawer. “What should I do?”

Jasper considered the question for a moment. “Clean up. Then go help Emmett. He’s packing some of your favorite things as we speak.”

Despite the situation, Rosalie gave a little laugh. “At least he has his priorities straight.”

A frown appeared on Jasper’s face. “Alice is upset about something.” He glanced to Rosalie. “You should head upstairs and get ready to go.”

“Don’t bother,” Alice answered. She strode into the kitchen, smelling of the wilderness and shining sun. “We have to go a meeting at the Swan household. If we do not – well, the Volturi will not like it.”

“What?” Rosalie snapped. “Why?” Jasper had told her that Chief Swan was going to invite them and his tone had implied that they would not go. She had no desire to do so and with the sun baring down on them, they would simply be unable. The venom in her veins slowed to a crawl. She knew that her coven skirted the edge of legality in their lifestyle and was well aware that had it not been for Carlisle’s close relationship with Aro they may not be allowed to flirt with humanity as they did.

Alice hopped on the counter next to Jasper and started swinging her legs. “If we disappear too soon Chief Swan will not be able to rationalize away his fears. Our names will enter the media. If we go, they will not.” He believed she died in a car accident, apparently: So why would their names need to enter the media? Perhaps a trip to his home would be the only way to convince him to leave them out of her obituary.

“When is it?” Rosalie fumed. Once again Edward and his thoughtless actions had put the coven into an undesirable situation. His selfishness knew no bounds. He knew how carefully she valued her name. For him to put her in a situation where she would lose control over her name was ridiculously cruel; Jasper, at least, had an excuse. Edward had none: He was just egocentric. Rosalie did not want to go back to hunkering down with the Denali coven. Since Carlisle had allowed her a second life, Rosalie liked _living_ it. She did not want to disappear. She did not want to go to a meeting at Charlie’s house and lie and play human.

“Tonight,” Alice answered. “Charlie will tell us when he comes over.”

Rosalie was grateful nothing was in her hands. “Very well. I will be upstairs helping Emmett pack. At least we have some time to pack this go-around.”

She excused herself and headed for the staircase. What a change twenty-four hours could bring, Rosalie mused as she drifted up the stairs. The same time yesterday she was scowling as she watched Alice string lanterns in their front yard. Never had Rosalie so longed to have been wrong before. Her hand hovered on the landing newel for a moment before she steeled herself and strode into her and Emmett’s room.

On the bed was one of her suitcases. Its smaller twin was leaning against the side table, zipped closed and clearly empty. Emmett left the closet and held up a long, red dress. “I thought you would want to bring this,” he said. Rosalie gave him a little smile. The suitcase on the bed was half-filled with various articles of her clothing and personal effects. As Rosalie’s eyes drifted back to Emmett she noticed her first wedding dress hanging outside their closet on an ivory hook.

Emmett always knew what was most important.

“Thank you,” she said and that was perhaps the most sincere, heartfelt statement she had uttered in a long while.

Emmett hummed as he expertly rolled and packed her dress into the suitcase. “Did Alice give you an ETA until Charlie arrives? I want to be done before he gets here.”

She shook her head. “No, but apparently it’s relatively soon.” She ran her hand over his back as she passed by him. “Let me help. You deserve to be packed up, too.”

The two of them rifled through the closet and their dresser in silence. Rosalie and Emmett extracted their most treasured items to place in the larger suitcase and then the smaller one. Emmett tossed a matching duffel bag onto the bed and Rosalie packed a few changes of clothes and her makeup, along with some jewelry and accessories inside before zipping it up smartly. She had a more demure duffel under the bed with currency and false documents, along with an array of outfits. “Now we need to take care of you.”

Working with their increased speed made the tedious process much simpler. How many times had they done this? As much as they tried to pretend otherwise, their coven was nomadic. Their recent moves only served to solidify that undesirable reality. Emmett opened both his cases on to the bed and they began stuffing those full. Rosalie handed him a worn baseball card box which held some of Emmett’s most beloved items – including his only photo of his birth family. He placed it into the suitcase with more delicate care than some would have expected him to possess.

Rosalie and Emmett had almost finished packing Emmett’s bags when a sharp knock on the door interrupted their progress. The door opened and Esme poked her head in. “Charlie will be here in less than two minutes. Hide the suitcases and head downstairs.”

“You got it,” Emmett said. He switched gears quickly and in a matter of seconds had all the bags zipped and tucked away into the closet. He took her hand gently and they headed down into the living room. The rest of the coven had already gathered there.

Alice was perched on one of the couches’ arms. She was leaning with her back against Jasper’s right shoulder. Judging by the look on his face, he seemed to have regressed in his emotional state. Esme was leaning on the wall near the door. She was fussing with her hair and bracelets. Carlisle was in conversation with Edward on the loveseat. Edward had the same sour-puss look that he usually did. It was a good sign.

“Are we going to have to go outside?” Carlisle said, breaking away from his discussion with Edward to address Alice. The sun had erupted from behind the clouds and in response, someone had drawn all the curtains tightly and let down the shades to hide the glass wall in the back of the house.

“No,” Alice said. She shook her head. “There will be no need to give Charlie a strange excuse about avoiding the sunlight.” Her voice lacked its usual chipper.

There was no time to dwell on that. The rumble of Charlie’s cruiser sounded and everyone perked up at its racket.

“Dun, dun, dun,” Emmett whispered.

Edward shot him a glare.

As the cruiser stopped and Charlie cut the engine, Jasper rose from the couch. “I’m going upstairs,” he explained.

“Why?” Esme asked. “You don’t think it would be better for us all to be together now?”

“I know my presence can be . . . unsettling at times. Any magic I need to work I would prefer to do behind the scenes, unless absolutely necessary.” Esme nodded and Jasper departed just as Charlie knocked on the door.

Emmett, Rosalie and Alice exchanged sorrowful looks. That knock was not one of a friend. It was soft and short and lacked the business of the previous nights.

Without a word, Carlisle rose from the couch and strode confidently over to the door. He opened and greeted Charlie with words of condolence for Bella’s untimely demise.

“That’s why I’m here,” Charlie said. “My men have been examining the area around the scene of the crash. They have determined that it was an accident; likely the result of the rain-slick roads. I never should have allowed her to drive so late at night.” Charlie’s voice became lower and lower with each word. His voice cracked and he stopped speaking for a moment. He tipped his head back, blinked rapidly and then sighed.

 _Damn_.

Esme frowned. She looked down at her hands and then closed her eyes.

A long pause followed Charlie’s news. “I am so sorry to hear that,” Carlisle condoled. “I never would have permitted her to drive herself home had I believed there to be any danger.” He sounded nice enough but Rosalie knew of the danger that lurked under his genial surface; Charlie had to believe their story, or they would all suffer.

Charlie opened his mouth but closed it after a moment. Was this how her own parents had reacted to her death? Had Rosalie’s father broken down in tears, been unable to find the words to express his grief? The idea was almost unthinkable. This had to be one of the times she was most sickened by the creature she had become.

“You have come here for a reason, Chief Swan. Please, come in.” Rosalie heard the door open wider and Charlie step inside. He shucked off his coat and Rosalie listened as Carlisle hung it up. The smell of the powder in the chief’s bullets tickled her nose.

Esme got up then and met Charlie just as he was passing by the living room. “Charlie,” she said, voice soft and warm. “I am so sorry you for the loss of your girl. We are all simply sick with grief.” She gestured behind her to Edward, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie.

Charlie gave her a short, slow nod. Then, with the tiniest indication, his face seemed to slacken. A human would not have picked up on the difference and Charlie himself likely did not. For all his self-deprecation, Jasper really proved himself to be incredibly useful in the most critical of times.

“Feel free to make yourself at home,” Esme continued. “Anything we can do, please let us know.” Her smile was pitying, and kind, and wholly human.

The man seemed to pay the ‘children’ no mind as he began looking around the living room. His eyes ghosted over the fern which had been placed under the console table which hide the healing hole in the wall. Rosalie froze for a moment in fear but relaxed as she saw Charlie’s shoulders fall and eyebrows relax.

Carlisle and Esme had been watching mutely from the doorway. “Would you like for us to get you a cup of tea, or coffee?” Carlisle asked.

After a moment of contemplation Charlie shook his head. “No,” he answered, “in fact, I was hoping I could get the lot of you to my house this evening. We are organizing a . . . well, I don’t know what to call it. I just wanted to get some friends together. Renee should be here in the morning and then,” his voice cracked and he stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, “we can plan the funeral. I want to get her resting properly sooner rather than later.”

“We would love to join you at your home,” Esme said. “Right?”

Everyone else echoed their desire to rendez-vous at the Swan residence. Years of practice allowed Rosalie to hide her scowl under a pretty, emotionless mask. Should she look sadder? No. She had never been a friend of the girls’ and Alice looked devastated enough for the two of them. Rosalie was disgusted yes, but she was not sad; she would not force herself to mourn a person she had never cared for.

“I think I will head on upstairs,” Rosalie said. She placed her hands on the cushion and hefted herself up, careful to appear normal as Charlie was just finishing his inspection of their living room.

“Go ahead and get ready,” Carlisle told her. “We should get there early.”

Rosalie smiled. “Sounds great.” _Not._

She hurried upstairs as fast as she dared and left Charlie to continue his conversation with Esme and Carlisle. Jasper was lurking just out of sight, but steps from the staircase.

“You’re doing a great job,” she told him. “How is he doing?”

Jasper shook his head. “I really cannot believe we thought we could stay here. He does not know but his feelings spike at times when I believe he must be looking at you all. There is no way we can stay when we are so connected to how she died. We will be lucky to keep our names.” He turned to her and caught her eye. “I am sorry about this, Rosalie.”

She reached out and laid a comforting hand on his scarred forearm. “Don’t apologize. Anything to forgive I have already.” The idea of losing her name was supremely unappealing. It was times like these that she appreciated Alice. If the whole coven trooped to the Swan residence that evening things would be fine – regardless of Jasper’s fears, apparently – but if they did not their names would have to be abandoned. In an Alice-free life they would have fled and lost their names but now Rosalie Hale still had a fighting chance.

“I hate having a human snooping through here,” Jasper grumbled. “Especially a cop.” He was still decently ashamed for being the reason for the sudden move but Rosalie’s acceptance did seem to improve his mood.

“That is why I had to get out of there. I’m going to finish packing. Do your best to keep him away from my room.” After Jasper promised to do just that Rosalie departed to resume the packing of Emmett’s things. She zipped around their room at her top speed. Newer but less loved clothing was being packed into Emmett’s final spare suitcase as she heard Charlie’s boots stomping up the stairs. Rosalie was not completely sure what Charlie was doing in their home, but by the sounds of things he was looking around. Did he not believe them innocent?

Two seconds later, the bags and suitcases were hidden away as if they had not been touched. She flopped down on the bed with a sad sigh as Charlie rapped his knuckles against her door.

“Mind if I have a word with you?” He sounded considerably more stable than when he had first arrived. Rosalie wondered how much that had to do with Jasper and how much that had to with their cover-up job.

“No,” Rosalie said, putting a pout into her words, “I guess not.”

Charlie pushed open the door. “Is this just your room?” he asked as his eyes landed on her bed.

She giggled. “No. Emmett and I share.”

“You kids don’t . . .?” he began uncomfortably. “You are too old to be sharing a bed with someone of the opposite sex. The fostering law states.” Charlie was about to go off on a whole other tangent that could get their coven into even more trouble.

Rosalie sat up. “Alice and I used to share a room, until like four months ago. But Emmett and I got real serious. Anyway, he’s adopted. I’m the only one being fostered and I’m Aunt Esme’s niece so it’s not like _fostering_ fostering. I’m no stranger.” Rosalie had always thought her teenage impression to be good but Edward’s snarky ‘you are a teenager so it is hardly an impression’ had soured her tastes some twenty-years previously.

Charlie shook his head. “Still, I will have to talk to your parents. It is against the law.”

“Emmett and I are both over eighteen, though.” Alice and Jasper would be the issue, seeing as they had put her birthday in February and the law considered her a minor for a few more months.

He seemed to deflate. “Does Alice share a bed with anyone?”

Rosalie bit her lip. “Maybe.” Charlie scowled so she said quickly, “but it’s like the same thing I just told you.”

“It will have to change,” he told her sternly. “I will talk to your parents and give them some time to shake up the situation but until Alice turns eighteen she needs her own bed and a room with no boys.”

She flopped back down with another dramatic sigh. “Because Alice totally wants to hear that right now.”

Charlie gave her room a half-hearted glance before giving her the pathetic non-apology adult humans like to give and then said, “Rosalie, I did not come here to lecture you. I know you and Bella were not friends like she and Alice were, but I wanted to thank you all the same. I was worried when she came up here and it is nice to know she had you and the others.”

Rosalie frowned and for the first time she truly pitied Bella for the sake of missing her. “Thank you,” she said softly, “and I’m sorry.”

Charlie gave her a nod and a wave. He neglected to shut the door behind him and so Rosalie was forced to get up and do it herself. All for the best that he did not ask to see her closet. Aside from the bags, it was nearly empty.

Considering the scale of this accident, it was a wonder they had as much time to pack-up as they were enjoying. Calgary had only given them nearly two hours before they had to flee town.

Emmett slide into their room as Charlie began poking around Edward’s – he had invited Charlie in to collect a CD Bella had left. “Jasper says he’s feeling real miserable again,” Emmett informed her.

Rosalie kicked the door shut. “I’ll bet.” Small towns held their charm, and the forested land nearby made feeding much easier, but larger cities were much simpler to live in. No one knew them, no one gave them a second glance, and no one remembered them. “Why don’t you sneak down to the garage and get some boxes for me? I am almost done in here.”

For a moment it looked like Emmett was going to take the normal way downstairs. Then, he sent her a smile, pulled open the window and leapt to the ground below. She followed him, peering down as he looked up in the direction of Edward’s window to see if Charlie had seen anything. The coast must have been clear because he zipped away and a few moments later was scaling the side of the house and sliding into the window with five flattened boxes in hand.

“Glad we’re always prepared,” Rosalie said in lieu of thanks. She listened to Charlie and Edward’s conversation as she continued packing.

Edward gave a sniff as he pretended to fight pack tears. “I just don’t know, sir. Everything was fine when she left. I wish I had driven her home. I’d do anything to go back in time.”

“Did she mention anything to you, anything I ought to know?” Charlie asked. His voice was soft. Why was he focusing so strongly on that angle? Worry blossomed in Rosalie’s stomach as she considered that the excuses and conclusions may not have been enough. Should they have hidden the body after all?

He did not say anything for a second. “No, nothing more than you heard on the phone.”

Charlie gave a deep sigh. “Okay. I am just trying to understand.”

“It was senseless,” Edward insisted and he sounded incredibly sincere. “She hadn’t done anything to deserve it. She was laughing when she left.”

Emmett cast her a pitying glance. “You think we’re gonna get away with this?”

She shrugged as she taped one of the boxes closed. “I imagine so, or else Alice would have already let us know.”

“Well, we need to get out of here before the wolves figure out what actually happened.” He took the box from her and piled it next to the two others they had already filled. “I don’t trust that there aren’t more of them out there.”

Rosalie nodded. “I hear you. We can get all this stored in the Jeep just as soon as he leaves.” The insult of acquiescing to humans when so powerful a creature cut through Rosalie. “I hate this,” she continued. “I just want to start over.”

Charlie left Edward’s bedroom then and after a short conversation with Esme and Carlisle, confessed that he had hoped to find some proof of wrong-doing in their home – other than Alice’s situation – and apologized. He had wanted to believe anything other than the crash, he had not wanted to believe a freak accident, something so unlucky, had befallen her. Esme assured him in a syrupy voice that the entire family understood, would feel the same, and would be over in a few hours.

A sharp knock sounded on the door and before either could say anything, Alice bounded inside. “We are in the clear. Charlie believes we had nothing to do with her death.”

“That’s what it sounded like,” Emmett said. He finished filling and taping the final box as Alice had another vision.

Alice smiled. “The Volturi will be no issue and neither will the meeting at Charlie’s. Jasper will stay behind, of course, but it will not matter. We are doing exactly what we should be doing.”

“That’s a relief. Why don’t you go pack up, Alice? I want to get out of here ASAP.” Rosalie picked up a box and headed for the door. “We are going to get the Jeep packed.”

Rosalie and Emmett got the Jeep packed with only a little overflow. She packed the final two boxes onto the trailer which they kept in the garage. Emmett had hitched it to the pack of Edward’s Volvo. Keeping the flatbed car trailer on hand was one the ways they stayed prepared for those times they needed to flee town in cases where there was no time or no inconspicuous way to rent a U-Haul.

Just as they were finishing up, Jasper joined them with some boxes of his own. Neither he nor Alice possessed a car, and so he was forced to add more of their belongings to the trailer. “Who are you riding with?” Rosalie asked. “Do you want to take the BMW? Then you can have your cases in the back.”

“You don’t mind?” he asked. “Alice and I were planning on riding with Carlisle and Esme.”

Emmett shook his head. “It’ll be nice to be together for the drive. Just be careful of all that fresh air.”

Jasper grimaced. “Yeah,” he grumbled, “I’ll hold my breath. Thanks, Rosalie, we appreciate it.”

As the three of them returned to the house from the garage, they ran into Carlisle, who was frowning at the cell phone in his hand. “I hate to have to call into the hospital like this,” he told them, after Emmett asked what was wrong. “Perhaps I can stay for a few after the rest of you leave. I want to give them time to find a replacement.”

“We can ask Alice,” Rosalie responded. “It would be a good thing, to stay.”

“Jasper, do you mind? Oh, and leave the BMW and my car empty for now: we will take them to the Swan residence.” He flipped open his phone and wandered off as it dialed.

Alice came down the stairs, a suitcase in each hand. “It’ll be fine,” she said, “if Carlisle stays for a week. No longer, though, or Esme’s story won’t make any sense.”

“Esme’s story?” Emmett asked.

“Yeah, Emmett,” Alice said as she parked the suitcases on the wall near the door to the garage. “We need an excuse for why we are leaving. And don’t ask: you will find out soon.” She gave them a dazzling smile. “I am trying to be happy! Come on, Jasper, I want to be done before we leave.” She took his hand and as they returned to their room asked, “How many new clothes do you think we are going to need to buy now?”

Jasper shook his head as Emmett and Rosalie exchanged incredulous looks. “I don’t know, Alice,” he answered, “we will have to see. I’m glad you’re finding something to district yourself with.”

“They are both crazy,” Emmett murmured as they entered the living room. Esme was inside, packing some of their décor into boxes. Her hair had been pulled back into a low ponytail and she had exchanged her usual dress for a loose blouse and slacks. She smiled at them as they entered.

“Can I get some help?” she asked, pointing to the archway. “I’ve got some linens and blankets I would like to bring with us. I would appreciate it if someone could get our blue floral linens and that new throw out of the closet and into a box.”

Time flew as they finished packing. Anything that could not be packed in the cars was waiting nearby to be packed in after they returned home. A few desired items would stay behind until such a time when they could safely return to sneak them out. The Denali’s were waiting, kindly understanding as they always were. The hospital had been informed and were deeply disappointed to hear that Carlisle had to leave so soon but were determined to fill his soon-to-be-vacant position before the end of the month. Carlisle was unconcerned with the time discrepancy between his excuse to the hospital and Esme’s announcement but that simply left Emmett and Rosalie more confused: _what_ announcement?

The house was eerie without their decorations and knickknacks. Virtually nothing but the furniture and a few pieces of art remained. Their rooms were near-devoid of all clothes and personal items. The coldness of the half-empty house was not improved when Esme sanded and primed the wall. The paint can and brush waited nearby for their return.

Jasper and Emmett were going to stay behind. Bella had not yet become overly close to either of them, and Carlisle felt that “we did not want to overwhelm” would be a good enough excuse for their absence. Jasper was going to get in contact with J. Jenks in Seattle to order him to begin work on new documentation. Carlisle and Esme had not yet decided upon their new destination, but there was work he could do in the meantime. Additionally, Emmett and Jasper would work on closing the house and doing the last minute preparations to lock down. Rosalie had desired to stay back as well but Charlie’s thanks earlier had all but forced her to join.

It was a somber ride over to Charlie’s home, with the five of them divided among two different cars. Rosalie took hers with Alice in the front seat and Edward reluctantly climbed into the back of Carlisle’s Mercedes. As she pulled the car out the garage and up the drive, Rosalie once again marveled over the difference a day could make. Twenty-four hours previous she had been doing her hair and dreading the arrival of Bella to their home: Now, she was driving to the dead girl’s house to offer sympathy to her father.

The sun had hidden itself behind the clouds as it prepared to set. Rosalie and Alice both had worn a hat and gloves, for they were exposed in her car, and Esme had brought along an umbrella. Forks had a beauty to it that Rosalie supposed she would miss. She had welcomed back the rain forests, beautifully green and haunting, when they had returned and reveled in the fog which made her feel safer when outside than perhaps anything else.

A row of cars was already parked outside the Swan home when they pulled up. Three in the drive and five along the street, Rosalie followed Carlisle’s lead and parked a bit off.

The atmosphere was tense. Rosalie followed Alice up the drive and did her best to ignore the looks she and rest of the Cullen’s received. Billy Black was deep in conversation when they approached and as they neared, their talk shuttered to a stop and he shot them a look of utter loathing. A boy who could only be his son appeared alarmed but Rosalie was used to the treatment.

“It is nice to see you again,” Carlisle greeted. Esme explained the absence of Jasper and Emmett and – just as Alice promised – Charlie accepted the excuse easily enough.

“Well,” Charlie said, looking around his yard, “why don’t we get inside?” He rubbed his hands together and Rosalie pulled the sleeves of her sweater down in response. “It is getting cold, isn’t it?” His voice had an odd twinge to it.

Esme held the door as Alice and Rosalie stepped inside. “It sure is.”

Just under one dozen humans were milling about the inside of the house. There was some low chatting occurring but it quieted as soon as the front door snapped shut. A girl from school which Rosalie did not know was sitting alone in the living room, crying into her sleeve, heart beating erratically. She held her breath: There was no need to make matters worse.

A banquet had been set up inside the kitchen. Along the counters and cramped dining table were a cake, a platter of cookies and three different savory dishes which Rosalie did not recognize and which reeked despite her attempts to ignore the smell. A woman who introduced herself as Mrs. Nelson attempted to feed them cookies, cakes, dinner and then coffee. Rosalie turned it down but Esme and Carlisle were bullied into each taking a cup of coffee. Billy Black’s son lingered awkwardly around the food before Charlie told him to help himself. One of the savory dishes leaked copiously when it was cut into. Rosalie turned away.

Billy had followed them into the kitchen. He appeared to be standing guard over Charlie as Alice gave him a hug and Edward replied lowly to Charlie’s half-hearted greeting. Some of the other mourners filed in and out and after just a few minutes, Rosalie excused herself from the conversation and lumbered into the living room.

Being inside this home must have been a nightmare for Edward. Bella’s scent saturated everywhere: the kitchen, especially, but up and down the stairs, and heavily above them. The smell of her was not as strong in the living room but it was fresh. Bella must have been in there the day previously. Rosalie settled on to the couch, angling herself away from the still crying girl.

Edward joined her a moment later. His face was pinched and he was unusually stiff. “You need to relax,” she said quietly and after bristling, he realized to what she referred and his shoulders slackened minutely. He did not speak; the girl did not stop crying. Her sniffling was apropos background music.

“I am sorry, Edward,” Rosalie said gently after some time had passed. “I know it may not seem that way, but I want you to know that I am. If you would like to get anything of hers to remember her by, I can help you.” The only thing she had left of her beloved brothers was memory. What she wouldn’t do for a photograph of them as she remembered them: mid-teens, awkwardly tall and thin, blond and ruddy and with misaligned teeth. She placed a hand on Edward’s exposed wrist. “I’m here for you if you need me.”

Edward allowed her touch to linger for a moment before pulling away. “No,” he said, “I’ve some of her things and a lock of her hair buried. If I want to remember I can sojourn there.” He paused, then, “And thank you. It means more than you know.”

Rosalie smiled. “I know we do not always get along, but I would be gutted if anything happened to you. Talk to someone if it gets too much, okay? I know you sometimes feel like you know it all because of your gift but that isn’t so – not always.” Edward was the worst type of know-it-all because of his gift and he was the only one who could not see it.

He seemed to want to respond but turned his head just ever-so-slightly toward the kitchen. Rosalie listened in: “I know,” Carlisle was saying, “I think the idea of publishing such a long piece is touching. But – and please forgive me – I would rather prefer you kept Edward’s name out of it. I know he was such a large part of her life these past few months, but he is young yet, and I would rather it focus on her rather than those she knew.”

So that was the problem which they had come to solve. Charlie had not wanted a simple obituary for his daughter. No, he wanted to write a mini-biography of her for the local paper. It had not seemed like the type of thing the introspective man was likely to do but Rosalie knew that people reacted to their grief in the most unexpected ways.

“You’re right,” Charlie replied, “I think I will do just that. Renee and I will draft it in the morning, so it can get in the paper on Friday. We will be,” he stopped again as his voice cracked. He continued through tears, “burying her on Saturday.”

“Saturday,” Esme said quietly. “Oh, Charlie.” Her cell phone rang than. Rosalie perked up. Was this that excuse which was to be forthcoming? What timing.

Rosalie and Edward rose from the couch without exchange and returned to the kitchen as Esme apologized and excused herself to the answer the call. As she stepped outside, Rosalie could hear Jasper’s voice on the other end.

“Is everything okay?” Edward asked. He looked to Carlisle first, but then glanced at Charlie and looked away guilty. Edward was too good at playing this role. When enough time had passed, she would have to rib him for it.

“I don’t know,” Carlisle responded, just as Esme snapped her phone shut and re-entered the home.

Esme wove her way through the pleasantry-exchanging human women and appeared, graceful as a ghost, at Carlisle’s side. “I just had the worst call,” she told him. She looked stricken. “We need to return home.”

“What has happened?” Charlie asked in alarm. Rosalie imagined that Charlie must have appreciated having something else to focus on.

Esme shook her head as Alice repeated his question. “My mother,” she elaborated. “I just got off the phone with my brother. He says she has had a massive stroke. Carlisle, we have to get back to Alaska.”

“What?” Alice cried and Rosalie chimed in with, “Grandma! Aunt Esme, is she going to be okay?” Rosalie never forgot their cover story, but playing Esme and Carlisle’s niece was never not strange.

“It doesn’t sound like it,” Esme responded. She blinked up at Charlie. “Oh, Charlie, I am so sorry. I must go be with my mother. I wanted to be here for you and your daughter but,” she broke off and did a crying impression. Rosalie was impressed with Esme’s performance.

“No,” Charlie said, almost stern. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Go home, be with your mother.” He gestured to the door. “I will be okay. Thank you for coming. And Esme – I will pray for her.”

Esme put her phone back into her purse with shaking hands. “Thank you,” she breathed.

They left quickly and quietly, doing their best to not steal attention away from Charlie’s grief and Bella’s death. Carlisle helped Esme into his car and Rosalie stumbled over to hers with one arm shielding her face, as if she were crying. They kept up the charade until they had driven far enough away from the Swan residence to no longer see it.

Everything was finished when they arrived back at home. Jasper had re-painted the wall, tidied up, and canceled their mail; Emmett had completed the yard work one final time and had boarded up the windows. The engines in their cars did not have a chance to cool before the final boxes were stowed and there was nothing left to do but drive away.

“I am going to stay,” Edward said firmly as Emmett tried to place a rug into the Aston Martin. “I know the Volvo is taken, but I _am_ going to the funeral. I will meet you in Alaska next week.”

Rosalie frowned. “Are you sure?” she asked. “I think that it is already far-fetched enough that Carlisle isn’t going to be with his wife after what’s happened.”

“I’m adopted, remember?” Edward snapped. “I’ll just say Bella’s funeral mattered more to be than the dying days of some old woman I’ve never met.” His desire was sincere, the emotion in his voice made that crystal clear.

Emmett’s eyes widened. “Woah, Ed. Don’t say it like that to anyone.”

The other man looked fit to respond but Esme spoke before he could. “Go ahead and stay for the funeral, Edward. I know how much it means to you. Just . . . take Emmett’s advice and try to have a little more tact when talking about my ailing mother.”

“What we need to talk about,” Alice said, a smile playing at the edge of her lips, “is your acting skills, Esme! You killed it.”

Esme smiled, ducking her face away. Rosalie got the feeling she would be blushing if it were possible. “I try.”

“So, what’s going on with Esme’s mom? I didn’t know you had a mom, Esme,” Emmett said. They brainstormed for days to come up with the best, most airtight backstory after each move but they had not covered nor considered if Carlisle or Esme were to have living parents. It never came up, so the Cullen’s had never bothered crafting an answer. Carlisle had reveled his to be officially dead a few months after they have moved – some of the staff at the hospital had wanted to see a picture of them – and Carlisle used to excuse of their death still being too raw to get out of producing one.

Rosalie laughed. “Jasper didn’t tell you? She had a massive stroke, it’s why we have to leave – we just omitted the fact that we do not plan to return.”

Emmett shook his head. “Poor old broad. So I guess we outta head up there to see her, huh?”

The jovial mood died. The air turned heavy and somber and as Rosalie glanced around the entrance to their home, so carefully and lovingly remodeled only three years previously, she felt a pang of longing, and of regret. She would be sad to go. But – and this was not something that could always be said – Emmett was right. It was time to go. There was no use or safety in lingering. Rosalie did one final sweep of the house before stepping out into the garden.

She had nursed a patch of flowers there: roses, black-eyed Susan’s, the Great Blue Lobelia, among others. She had been excited to see it transition into the winter. The air beside her was displaced. Rosalie felt Emmett’s arm wrap around her waist and squeeze gently. She leaned against him. “Let’s go,” she said. Rosalie would not mourn her garden. Like each no home they had, and each new story, there was always time for another.

In the garage, Esme was kissing goodbye to Carlisle. She and Emmett got into the Jeep after exchanging farewells with Edward. He was sitting on one of her workbenches, still like a statue. Rosalie could not even begin to guess what he was thinking. Rosalie tossed her BMW keys to Alice, who caught them without turning to look. She and Jasper squeezed into what space remained in the BMW as Esme extracted herself from Carlisle’s farewell hug and got into Edward’s Volvo.

“See you soon,” Rosalie said as Emmett’s started the Jeep. Carlisle waved them off; Edward did not respond.

The trip back up to the Denali’s was quiet. They drove through the night and into the next day, stopping only to refuel. Jasper held his breath when need be, and they reached the Denali’s in record time – just over two days. Typically, there was excitement in the air at these times. As they prepared to begin anew and plans swirled for remodels to the house and just what their story would be, there was laughter, and usually a pause to hunt, and always jokes. It was different this time. Emmett barely said a word the length of the journey, but as long as he was driving he held on to Rosalie’s hand.

Rosalie spent the week waiting for Edward and Carlisle to return hunting and puttering around the garage the Denali’s pretended to do work in. She ignored Alice’s visions of their activities, as none of them were dire, but was grateful Alice could witness the funeral in her own way. Eventually, Edward and Carlisle arrived. Edward got there about twenty minutes before Carlisle, as he had been speeding. Alice called him just in time for him to avoid a well-hidden, unusually silent police officer but he otherwise sped without issue much of through the journey.

“How was it?” she asked him. Edward had barely gotten out of the vehicle before she had accosted him. It was not her fault: she was improving an ‘80s sedan that Irina had held on to, and was close by when he arrived.

Edward frowned. He pulled at his jacket, shook his head like he was trying to shake off a fly, and then seemed to deflate. “It was a nightmare,” he confessed. “Her mother was a wreck: her husband had to support her through the service. Charlie was dead silent, pale. Her friends, including that Jacob Black boy, were beside themselves. And she, she – she did not even smell anything like she had. Just crisp ash and decay. No one spoke much to me or Carlisle. They were glad to see us leave. I suppose in those times of heightened emotional vulnerability they become more able to sense who we truly are.”

Rosalie put down the tool she had been using and pushed herself to her feet. Her hands were stained with oil, so she rubbed them on her pants, then reached out a hand to Edward but retracted it before she could make contact. There was no use in that. Edward would not be healed by it.

“Did it help you?” she inquired, “to go?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, Rosalie, to tell you the truth. I feel like the sun has been extinguished. Can anything make that right? But it did not rain. The weather remained cloudy, and the temperature kept all the humans comfortable. Her resting place is beautiful and lush with greenery. She would have liked it, if only to visit.”

If Rosalie knew one thing, it was how important religion was to Edward – and how closely his own view of himself was tied to that mythology. “Do you think she is okay, Edward, now?”

That seemed to be the only answer he had concrete feeling about. “Yes,” he said, a bit more life seemed to creep back into his voice. “She is safe in Heaven, she must be. How could something so kind not be? That is my only comfort: that she was never damned as we are.”

Carlisle pulled up the drive then. Rosalie gestured to the door. “Why don’t you head inside, huh? The others are waiting to see you.”

 _We all love you_ , she thought, _even if you are a colossal pain_. He smiled at her and headed for the inside, where he was immediately swamped by Kate, Alice and Esme.

“Have you given any thought to where we go next?” Rosalie asked Carlisle. She was eager to put down roots again, if only for a time.

“I have,” Carlisle answered as he pulled his suitcase from the car. “How does Ithaca sound?”

It sounded good. It sounded like a fresh start, like freedom, like a chance to feel normal again. They could re-build there and as they developed new memories, these horrible days would fade away. Edward would love again one day and Bella would become like all the other humans that had fallen in their way: forgotten in name and story, simply a cautionary tale. She smiled at Carlisle and her spirits had already risen to where they had been before the accident.

 _I should go see Jasper_ , she thought as she headed inside, _he was wanting to go back to college._

As the door snapped shut behind her and Carlisle, Rosalie was already pushing Bella out of her mind.


End file.
